Working is hard. Being a parent is hard. Working while being a parent is incredibly hard. There aren’t enough hours in the day, you’re pulled a dozen different ways, and you always feel you’re letting someone down. As a teacher and mom of three kids, I’ve got some thoughts on essential routines for working moms — and these are obviously good for dads and families, too!
My Working Mom Life
In my past life, before children, I was a 2nd grade teacher — and I was good at it. In those days, if I didn’t go food shopping, my husband and I would go out to eat and I’d grab myself a salad from the school cafeteria. If the house didn’t get cleaned, there was dust. Daily tasks were low stakes.
I left teaching when I had my first child and stayed home for the next 10 years. As a stay at home mom, I established a lot of routines. I was so good at routines and organization; I made a business, and a blog, dedicated to it.
When all my kids all entered school full time I went back to work. Thankfully, it’s been a fairly smooth transition, mostly because of my decluttering habit these past few years and the strong, simple routines that are in place. I’ve also been trying to delegate as many tasks as I can.
But after returning to work, I found that my household routines had to be modified so I could complete them at different points of the day than I did as a stay at home mom.
Routines for Working Mothers
Routines are sequences of actions that are followed regularly. They’re often helpful for eliminating the guesswork and ensuring that tasks get done. You probably have dozens of routines without really realizing it. Being intentional with your routines is essential if you want your home to run smoothly.
I have essential routines for the mornings, afternoons, and evenings. I also have some weekend routines (hello, laundry) and monthly routines (yup, meal planning). With over 62% of moms in the work force, I’m betting you have some routine needs, too!
Morning Routines for Working Moms
We wake up at 6 am and aim to be pulling out of the driveway by 7 am, so that’s one hour to get 5 people up, dressed, fed, and out. Life has gotten MUCH easier as my children have gotten older. They get themselves up (although we check on them), dressed, and brushed.
- Wake up, get dressed, do hair & makeup
- Wake up the kids either before you get ready if they can get ready independently or after you get ready if they need your help
- Empty dishwasher & put away drying rack dishes
- Make & eat breakfast (I feed the kids and pack mine to eat at work)
- Drink coffee (no travel mug for me because I want to brush teeth after drinking, plus I don’t need another dish to wash)
- Adults’ lunches (usually quick and previously prepared – see weekend routine)
- Clean up breakfasts (dishwasher)
- Feed pets
- Fill water bottles
- Check daily schedule/planner
- Brush teeth and hair
Like I said, we try to have as little to do as possible. Once all this is done, we grab our packed lunches, packed backpacks and head out the door for the day.
Related Post: How to Create a Kids’ Morning Routine
Afternoon Routines for Working Moms
As a teacher, I usually get home around 4:00. As with the morning, I have an essential routine for the afternoon I stick to, as well:
- Check mail (recycle most items immediately)
- Change clothes
- Wash hands
- Check folders & do homework
- Empty lunchboxes
- Exercise (3x per week, sometimes afternoon, sometimes evening)
- Get out dinner ingredients and start cooking (around 5:00)
Evening Routines for Working Moms
When we talk about routines, it’s easy to think they start in the morning, but I’m confident that my morning success starts the night before. Here are tasks we do in the evening to make our mornings go smoother:
- Clean up the kitchen (sink, counter, table, clutter)
- Run the dishwasher
- Make lunches
- Defrosting meat (for tomorrow’s dinner)
- Pack backpacks/gym clothes/library books – whatever is needed
- Pick out next day’s clothing (everyone)
- Shower (every other night for kids)
- Necessary daily chores (ex: garbage night)
- Go to bed at a reasonable time
My goal is always to do AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE in the morning.
Related Post: Creating an Evening Routine for Your Children
We have a tight timeline. People are grumpy, and I want to start my day off on a smooth note. Getting as much as possible done at night makes my morning infinitely less stressful.
Other ideas to add to your evening:
- Choosing breakfasts
- Setting the coffee maker
- Laying breakfast dishes out
- Loading the car
Weekend Routines for Busy Mothers
As a working parent, weekends have never been more valuable. Yes, they’re a time for family, for relaxing, and recharging, but they’re also a chance to catch up on life and set yourself up for a smoother week.
Here are some tasks I aim to complete every weekend:
- Food shopping (we use Walmart Plus and get groceries delivered to us. Yes, it’s an added expense, but it frees up a few precious hours)
- Lunch prepping (I make myself a meal and split it into five servings for my week)
- Laundry (Here’s my OLD laundry routine, which I loved but just couldn’t keep up with now that I work full time)
- Tidying the house (vacuuming, mopping, cutter-clearing)
- Paper planning
- Pick out outfits for the week
- Water plants
Monthly Routines
Finally, there are a few routines I complete just once a month, but they help set me up for success:
- Meal Planning
- Budgeting
Both tasks are slightly painful, but necessary for an organized grown up. If it seems overwhelming to do them monthly, they can be done weekly instead. I found doing them once a month is actually less painful than doing them every week.
You can find a ton more information on How I Meal Plan Monthly here. I’ve been talking about it for years and I’m not kidding when I tell you it’s a game changer!
Routines for Working Moms
Regardless of how many kids you have and how many hours you work, having reliable household habits and routines can save your sanity, reduce anxiety, and better equip you (and your children) to take on the world. Be sure to involve your kids in your daily routines by giving them regular chores to complete.
