We juggle so many responsibilities as moms, and it can feel utterly overwhelming. Routines for moms can change your life and make so many things easier from managing your day to grocery shopping to caring for your children and health.
Routines help us live a more peaceful and organized life. This post is to help you think about the routines that fit your life and your family so you can create your own for every key area of your life. Routines are like a mom’s secret weapon.
Evening Routine
You thought I was going to start with a morning routine right?
The truth is preparing for a good day starts the night and even the evening before. If you crash on the couch after the kids go to bed and binge-watch Netflix or scroll mindlessly through social media and stagger to bed exhausted with the house in a hot mess, you will not feel like getting up the next morning for your morning routine. Sorry if I’m calling you out. I think most of us have been there.
I so get it, you just want that bit of quiet time to yourself after meeting everyone else’s demands all day.
But nights like this make us dread the alarm going off and make us want to just turn over and go back to sleep. Then we’re not up before anyone else and those demands start coming before we even have time to catch our breath.
It feels so much better to wake up refreshed and calm and have that time to think and plan. Children often sleep better and thrive more with solid bedtime routines too.
So what can you do during your evening and night routine to make the mornings better?
Here are a few ideas, pick and add what works for you:
- Dinner and family time
- Clean up kitchen and straighten house
- Bedtime for kids
- Set out clothes and needed items for the next day
- Relaxing bath
- Read
- Stretch
- Write in a prayer journal
If you work together as a family to do a quick cleanup of the kitchen and pick up items left out then you can all have some time together. Then put the kids to bed and save a little time to do something you want to do like read or watch something. This will help you start the next day with a refreshed house but still have time for you to feel relaxed. After all, it’s no fun waking up to a sink full of dishes and toys everywhere already feeling behind from the start. Begin earlier and finish earlier so you can still get the rest you need.
You can pack lunches ahead during your evening routine and backpacks if needed. Restock the diaper bag if you have a little one. If you homeschool you can set the items you need out for the next day. Brainstorm the things you can do or have the family help you do them in the evening for easier mornings.
Think about what your evening routine needs to include for you to have a great next day, and take care of home, health, and family. Estimate how long that will take and then count back from your desired bedtime. This will give you your evening routine start time.
Preparing the night before cuts down on decision fatigue the next day. Create a to-do list for the next day and even plan your healthy meals so when the morning comes you know more of what to expect for the day and are prepared to stay on track. Go ahead and fill up your water bottles too.
Morning Routine
Once you have a solid evening routine it will be much easier to wake up earlier than the kids and maybe even your spouse. There is something so beautiful and peaceful about quiet time alone in the mornings. I just don’t feel the same when I don’t have mine.
If you struggle with getting up, hello tired mommas! find something that you are excited about. When you start the day with the house already picked up and time set aside for yourself it gets so much easier.
Give yourself the gift of a slower morning.
You can have work time and workout time in your routine if you need that but plan things you enjoy too. Here are some ideas for your morning routine:
- Write in a prayer journal
- Read the Bible
- Listen to a podcast or motivational video
- Do a quick, enjoyable workout
- Shower or bath
- Skincare
- Take a course
- Make a special breakfast or beverage just for you
Get up an hour earlier than anyone else and create a routine you enjoy, yes even if you don’t consider yourself a morning person. Early risers already know this is a special time but even if you are a night owl try it for a while. Once you have completed your morning routine, you can start your to-do list if there is time left. Our schedule has changed and I have less time so I am working to fit writing a blog post into my morning routine.
Getting even one or two things done on your to-do list will give you momentum as you go throughout the rest of the day. This will make your daily schedule feel so much smoother. You may just feel like you have more free time. If you need inspiration search online for mom morning routines. The best time to start is now.
And if at all possible avoid looking at your phone first thing in the morning! It is far too easy to let other people’s content and agendas impact your day if you start scrolling. When we start consuming random information right away it drains our energy and squashes our creativity.
Plug your phone up in another room and don’t even grab it until you have gone through your morning routine. A productive morning routine truly is a game-changer.
Cleaning Routine
Having a cleaning routine can be a game changer in how your home looks and feels. Mommas, let’s get something important out of the way- your home does not have to look Instagram-worthy or like no one lives there. It does however feel good to have a clean and organized home. It gives more peace and makes going through our other routines easier.
A cleaning routine can break down bigger tasks so we can stay on top of things without feeling like we are cleaning 24/7!
There are so many different weekly and monthly cleaning methods that you can try. But you can also just make it easy on yourself and build a simple routine that works for your family.
Simply print a free blank weekly schedule and write in what needs to get done on what days. Once you know what tasks are for which days you can easily fit them around other activities.
Currently, I’m out of the house more on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I have those set as maintenance days to simply keep things up. Sunday I have a reset day to prepare for the week. Friday I do a deeper clean for the weekend and also rotate toys for our daughter. Mondays and Wednesdays I water plants. One day is a deeper clean of the bathrooms and one day is a deeper clean of the kitchen with wipe-downs happening most days along with mopping the floors.
I’m a Notion gal but I like to have my cleaning schedule printed so I can reference it daily as needed. I prefer to keep things up daily and do fewer deep cleans but you may be someone who would rather deep clean weekly or every other week and have fewer daily tasks. Do what works best for you. Also, think about the weekly and monthly tasks like washing bedding. I like to keep our washing machine busy throughout the week by doing a load of laundry in the morning regularly.
If you struggle with cleaning it may be a good idea to outsource some of it by hiring a cleaner as needed if you can swing it financially. As busy moms, we can do so many things but it’s ok to get help too.
Clean My Space has some great tips:
Meal Prep Routine
Mommas, is it just me or is it so very hard to keep coming up with healthy and balanced meals to feed ourselves and our families day in and day out?!
A meal-prepping routine can cut down so much on stress and that decision fatigue we so experience as moms. Something I’ve learned is that I’m not a fan of traditional meal prepping where you make three days of meals in containers and eat the same thing over and over. It would probably be easier if I did like that but I just don’t. However, I have found a similar approach does help a lot and it is ingredient prepping.
Cutting up veggies and having a bowl of healthy dip options like hummus ready for snacks. Having some snack combination ideas handy like fruit slices with peanut butter. Creating some protein sources that I can throw on different bases like pasta, salads, or wraps.
You can also make pre-packaged snacks that are healthy and easy to grab.
For Meal and Ingredient Prep Help Check Out these videos and adjust to your family’s dietary needs.
Meal Prep For Moms
Ingredient Prep For Weekly Recipes
Ingredient Prep For Families
You may also want to check out Simple Healthy Work-From-Home Lunch Ideas
Personal Development Routine
When you’re taking care of a home and family the days can begin to feel mundane. We can always look for ways to add more joy to everyday tasks and should. But another way that we can feel fulfilled and continue to grow as people not just as moms is through personal development.
Taking classes, reading books, and listening to podcasts are some of the many ways we can continue to grow and learn. We need to teach our children that the learning never needs to stop. We can always become better, more knowledgeable, and more well-rounded.
Think about some things you would like to learn and find local classes or online classes on the subject. You could also find books and podcasts around the same topic. An idea I heard recently was to pick a subject and obsess about it for 90 days learning all you can then you can choose another one for the next 90 days. It doesn’t have to be 90 days. You can choose your time frame but I love this idea.
Family Admin Routine
I have called this the family admin routine but it could also be called mom COO or something else. Sometimes we need a routine for us to manage our businesses and family lives.
Your family admin could include family meetings about your upcoming schedule and activities. It could be managing your family finances and working in some kind of task management software. It could be coming up with ideas as a family to fix areas that are not working.
If you work from home or working mom outside of the home you could also set up any needed routines for managing your job or business. You could make this a weekly routine on a certain day to complete all those pesky admin tasks that need to be done. Keep a running list throughout the week so you know exactly what you need to do when the time comes.
For more details check out this post on Life Admin Days for Busy Moms.
Family Bonding Routine
Of course, we want to bond as a family as much as we can but it doesn’t hurt to have a specific family bonding routine. In the world we live in it’s more important than ever that we are intentional about real connection.
This could be a weekly family night where you play games, eat a special meal, and watch a movie. Or it could be a special monthly outing or trip. It could also be a weekend lunch or weekday breakfast out. You make it whatever works for your family and you can switch it up to keep things interesting. Just be intentional to make time to be together as a family.
Choose ideas that the entire family can enjoy. You could have a family brainstorming session to come up with ideas. Even young kids can contribute some fun ideas.
Here are a few family bonding ideas to consider:
- Visit a local museum or art gallery
- Look through photos and talk about memories
- Do some volunteer work together
- Go out to eat somewhere new
- Have a picnic in the park
- Have a themed dinner
- Have a bonfire and cook outside
- Go camping even if it is in the backyard
- Build a fort inside or out
- Take turns teaching each other something new
- Turn your living room into a game room
Quality time as a family can be hard to come by but is crucial. At the end of the day isn’t a strong family what we want?
What’s a fun idea you do with your family? Let us know in the comments!
Self-Care Health Routine
We have a whole post on this Practical Self-Care Tips for Busy Moms. That post has ideas for different types from the homebody to the outdoorsy mom so be sure to check it out after you finish this post. Self-care is not selfish care but keeping your mood and health stable so you can be there for your family. If you burn out you will not be there to take care of anyone else. It’s hard to control our mood and temper when we feel overwhelmed and resentful. Stay-at-home moms may need this even more.
Having a self-care routine scheduled will help you do the things that will help you feel better. Only you know the best way to make it happen. And some self-care items are built into other areas. Meal prepping to eat healthier can be self-care along with creating a nourishing morning and evening routine.
Keep It Simple
Staying consistent with routines requires us to change our mindsets. We have to remember that if we get off track it’s ok. We can just start again. And we can break things down where it doesn’t feel so overwhelming. We can build grit and say, “Nothing to it, just do it.” I know it is easier said than done. Motherhood is a lot. But you are so very strong. I know because moms are the strongest people I know. Small changes can make a huge impact to make a more productive day and a happier day.
When you need rest take it. When you need help ask for it. When routines need to be changed because they’re not working change them. I’m a firm believer in simple systems that work. Successful people will often tell you that it is consistency that makes the biggest difference. Keep a gratitude journal and track how things are going as you implement these routines along with what you are most thankful for. Sometimes we cannot get the help we need when we need it but we serve a mighty Heavenly Father who can renew our strength when we rest in Him. It’s hard momma. But I believe in you.
I hope these routine ideas have given you new inspiration to make needed changes and fill your soul. Make your daily routine as fun as it can be and add in these bonus routines as needed. Focus on the important things so that you have enough time for what you need to get done. What routine will you start? Do you have a solid routine that works to Share? Let me know in the comments. And remember every day can offer a fresh start. Cheers!
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