The Stay-At-Home Mom Schedule that Never Fails

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The stay-at-home mom schedule that never fails even when the days are long and your patience is short. The no fluff, honest and realistic approach to managing the everyday as a stay-at-home mom.

Being a stay-at-home is the most rewarding job I have ever had but it does come with the most stress I’ve ever experienced too. It doesn’t matter if you have four kids or just one child, it isn’t easy.

When I first decided to become a stay-at-home mom I searched the internet looking for ideas on how to schedule a successful day and there were a TON of seemingly perfect plans.

The problem is that none of these online stay-at-home mom schedules are realistic or actually easy to stick to and I quickly learned that timing the day by 30 or 40 min intervals was too chaotic and not practical at all.

“I don’t know what’s more exhausting about parenting: the getting up early, or acting like you know what you’re doing.”

 Jim Gaffigan, actor and comedian

The day needs to be able to flow and change especially if you have toddlers. Just leaving the house with a toddler can sometimes take twice as long as you need it to and you have to be able to work around it.

I spent WEEKS trying to adjust and manipulate a schedule that was reasonable yet constructive. I only found one method that actually worked and it was not from anything I found reading through endless mom blogs. It all started with reducing MY OWN stress.

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What is Stay-At-Home Mom Burnout?

If you are pregnant or thinking about becoming a stay-at home mom there is something that you need to be aware of as you prepare for your new role. If you are already a stay-at-home mom you already know exactly what I am about to say.

Stay-At-Home Mom Burnout is simply the chronic stress that comes with the job of being the EVERYTHING person. The weight of your entire family is on your shoulders and it is a constant pressure that looms over you all day long because essentially you do EVERYTHING.

Getting burnt out is very easy with young children that without creating reasonable expectations for yourself you will be burnt out before your child even turns 3 days old. *NOT KIDDING*

The best chance you have to minimizing stress is adding minimal structure. It is not about planning out every hour of the day, but creating sections of the day to plan within. What do I mean?

Let’s address some of the most frequently asked planning questions first!

Frequently Asked Questions

Every mom schedules their day differently and ultimately your schedule needs to fit your family. The best way to schedule the day is by breaking it up into four distinct sections: Morning, Afternoon, Evening & When the Kids are Sleeping.

This one really depends on your own children and if you want to have personal time in the morning. Realistically you just need to be awake when your children wake up. It can be 1 minute or even a few hours beforehand, it really just depends on how productive you need your mornings to be.

AS OFTEN AS SHE NEEDS.Every mom will say this no matter what their job is, but I think it is even more important for a stay at home mom. We don’t go out and socialize like moms who work. We don’t get to see people unless we are at the grocery store or running errands. Finding that sweet spot takes alot of communication with your spouse as well as reminding yourself that it is okay to need some time to recharge.

YES. How much alone time? Well, that depends on what you need and what is realistic for your family. Alone time is essential to keeping yourself from becoming over stressed. Does alone time mean completely alone or do you just want alone time with your husband?


Either way, having time to work on your hobbies or just melt into the couch watching your favorite show are both perfectly good ways to having some peace and relaxation in your non-stop life.

Adjusting for the Changing Seasons

When you are planning your day you also have to take into account the season. If it’s summer you can obviously do more outdoor activities and even incorporate gardening into your day. If it’s winter plan to do more crafts or trips to the library.

Each season brings its own special opportunities to do something that won’t be overwhelming or take too much planning.

I usually have a rotation of 10 things we do per season. This is my go-to summer activities list, but you can obviously add so many more!

  • Going to the Beach
  • Going to the Park
  • Gardening & Weed Pulling (A Toddler Favorite)
  • Shopping at the Farmer’s Market
  • Playing the Sprinkler
  • Outside Freeplay
  • Going for a Walk in Town
  • Playing in a Pool
  • Playing at the Local Park
  • Bike Ride

Prioritize 3 Nonnegotiable Objectives

There are a few activities or tasks that you may need or want to accomplish every single day. Figure out what are your three nonnegotiable objectives and prioritize them into your planning.

  • Working Out
  • Eating Dinner as a Family
  • Outdoor Playtime No Matter the Season
  • 1-Hour of Alone Time
  • Reading Time for the Entire Family
  • Going for a Morning Walk
  • Gardening
  • Making Home Cooked Meals
  • Eating Healthy
  • Listening to A Podcast

These are just some quick examples so look at your own life. What are your biggest priorities? What are tasks that you want to get done every day? With those three objectives in mind, let’s make our schedule.

My Realistic Stay-At-Home Mom Schedule

To start our stay-at-home mom schedule lets focus our planning on four sections of the day:

Morning Routine, Afternoon Routine, Evening Routine and When the Kids are Sleeping.

Instead of planing the whole day hour by hour or minute by minute, I set objectives or tasks that need to happen within a specific timeframe.

  • 7am-7:30am | Wakeup
  • 7:30-7:45 | Breakfast
  • 7:45-8:30 | Freeplay
  • 8:30-8:45 | Get Dressed
  • 8:45 – 9:00 | Snack Time
  • 9:00-9:30 | Go for a Walk
  • 9:30-11:15 | Play Outside
  • 11:15 – Noon | Lunch
  • Noon – Naptime
  • Tasks for the Morning Routine (7:00am – Noon):
    • Indoor Freeplay
    • Go for a Walk
    • Play Outside
    • Nap at Noon

There is no time limit and there is no pressure. I already know that my child needs to eat meals and snacks but her hunger varies day to day. I also don’t force meals or food. Are you hungry? Great lets eat, otherwise lets go for a longer walk and I’ll pack some berries to eat on the go.

To pressure and plan the day by hour only adds an unneeded expectation that if you do not keep up minute by minute you are not being productive.

What is a productive day anyways? Well to me, a productive day is a happy well-loved kid and that’s it. Not every day will be jammed back with activities.

Planning Tips

Relax Time is an hour of alone play in your child’s bedroom. The door can be left open for potty training purposes but make sure they understand this is an hour mama needs to be productive and get dishes or chores done.

Let your child help you with the laundry and water the garden. At first it will be a headache but with a little bit of effort they will gladly join in and be happy to take part.

There are a million things that need to get done but do they need to happen all in the same day? No, but it feels like we have to over stuff our day with chores if we want to have any chance of being productive. This is also not true. Be honest. What can you really get done.

Create a list of weekly and seasonal chores that you and your spouse are going to split. This will make sure not only everything you need to get done will but that you are both on track of your home’s maintenance.

No matter what your schedule looks like make sure that you include a little part of your day to making sure your little on is getting in some exercise. If you have a baby (lucky you) tummy time is a good option but if you have a toddler MAKE SURE you keep them moving. The more active our toddler is the less tantrums she throws.

Fun Toddler Exercises:

When it comes to scheduling I NEVER plan out the obvious every health needs like brushing teeth or taking a bath. Those tasks happen everyday and are things that NEVER change.

We these tips, tricks and thoughts in mind, this is what my stay-at-home mom schedule looks like.

Morning Routine

  • 7:00am | Wake Up
  • Tasks for the Morning
    • Go for a Walk
    • Play Outside
    • Nap or Relax time at Noon

Afternoon Routine

  • Noon | Nap or Relax Time *Approximately an Hour*
  • Tasks for the Afternoon
    • Do Basic Chores (Dishes, Vacuum, Clear Surfaces)
    • Teach Child Something New (Alphabet Letter, New Color, Tie Shoes Etc.)
    • Seasonal Fun
    • Run Errands (If needed)

Evening Routine

  • Family Walk
  • Indoor FreePlay
    • Watch 1 Episode of Favorite TV Show
  • Family Dinner
  • Pre-Bedtime Routine
  • Bed at 8:00pm the Latest

When the Kids are Sleeping

  • Workout for 1 Hour
  • Work for 1 Hour
  • Chores that Cannot Be Done with Kids Around

A Changing Schedule

This is the typical schedule I go by, but obviously things need to change day-to-day. Some days we decide to go to the park while other days we need to run errands.

The best method is to write out your week ahead of time. Every Sunday night when the kids are asleep spend 15-20 minutes planning out the most important tasks that have to get done for the next week.

Tuesday during the morning routine plan to go shopping.

Thursday during the evening routine skip a family walk and go to the park as a family.

Breaking up your routine into four different timeframes instead will give you some wiggle room if something slows the day down. It will also help you feel less pressure and stress.

If they are exercising they need an extra drink. When it comes to mealtime, just use common sense. Feeding your child doesn’t need a schedule. We don’t enforce “eating everything off your plate” and try to create a healthy relationship with food. Your child will communicate their needs.

Stay at Home Mom Schedule Basics

The biggest secret to creating a stay-at-home mom schedule is being honest with yourself and what you can handle, less is more when it comes to scheduling, and make yourself a priority at least a few minutes a day.

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