If you’re new to the SAHM life or now have two little ones to juggle, I thought it’d be handy to lay out how our “good days” typically go. I’m a firm believer that children behave and perform better when they have a consistent daily routine. I also believe this to be true for all humans. Haha!
I know we all have a much happier and productive day when we’re all (including myself) following our routine. To give you some perspective, this schedule is used for my two-and half-year-old (Myles) and my 10-month-old (Gracelyn). I’d say this is a good schedule for a baby in the 6-12 month range.
So, without further ado, here’s our daily schedule and routine:
5 AM: Mom goes to workout (I typically do this 3-5 times per week. To read more about starting this routine for myself after staying home, go read this blog post!)
6:30/7 AM: Kids wake up for the day (my goal is to ideally be ready for the day myself, or at the very least be out of the shower when the kids wake up. My husband is typically around to get them going if I’m still getting ready)
7:30 AM – 8 AM: Gracelyn gets her morning bottle (6oz.), kids get dressed and ready for the day, and we start breakfast somewhere in here (Gracelyn also eats with us).
9 AM: Clean up from breakfast, head out for errands or some fun, start laundry or a chore of some sort. Playtime for kids.
9:30 AM: Gracelyn takes a morning catnap. Myles has some one-on-one time with Mom or plays by himself for a bit while I get something done.
11:30 AM: Lunchtime – all three of us eat.
12/12:30 PM: Naptime for Myles (nap time is always after lunch, whenever that happens), Gracelyn gets her second bottle (6 oz.)
1 PM: Naptime for Gracelyn. Mom gets to chill for a bit, or get something done.
3 PM: Kids are up from naptime – we play, go outside, run errands, or do chores
4 PM: We have a snack. Gracelyn gets her third bottle (6oz.)
5:30/6 PM: Suppertime – all four of us eat together typically
6:30 PM: Bathtime (on bath nights).
7:30 PM: Bedtime routine – get PJs on, Gracelyn gets her last bottle (6oz.), read books, lights out.
8 PM: Clean up time for Mom and Dad, followed by chill time for Mom and Dad. This is shortly followed by bedtime for Mom and Dad. We don’t mess around with sleep in this house (unless we’re binge-watching a show on Netflix, then all rules are out the door.). Haha!
a couple of notes
This is an ideal schedule. Does it happen every single day for us? Nope. We definitely have off days/weeks. There are days when there are places we have to be at certain times. There are days where we stay in pajamas all day long and that’s just how it is. Sometimes we spend all day outside and even try to eat our meals out there. Other days we end up inside all day long and watch way too much TV.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about incorporating more function in a chaotic lifestyle. Some days you’ll get it, and other days you won’t. It will get easier, though. You’ll feel like the most badass Mama out there when you nail it a few days in a row! Ha!
Please don’t feel like if you don’t follow a schedule every single day you are failing. Listen! Anyone caring for young children needs more grace and “go with the flow” than your average Joe (that rolls off the tongue reeaaalll smooth!). Just remember if you try and don’t succeed, choose to go with the flow instead of going into a frenzy trying to right the path.
I remember when I first started staying home I would put so much pressure on myself. I had/have this unrealistic expectation of perfection. The expectations that were floating around in my head would constantly poke their way into my thoughts when something didn’t go how I’d planned. I’d get down on myself and that would trickle down to my children. Not good for anyone.
Cut yourself and your little ones some slack. Pop some popcorn, grab the M&Ms, plop down on the couch and start a movie together. Just surrender to the chaos. It ain’t happening today, Mama, but there’s always tomorrow. You’ve done your best.
Let it go and enjoy your little humans. They need you in these moments. They need YOU. Wigging out because of something as insignificant as delaying nap-time by forty-five minutes or forgetting a dentist appointment isn’t what they need.
Daily Schedules are Always Evolving
If you’re a parent, you are well aware that behaviors and development in the early days of childrearing evolve almost overnight sometimes. Please keep this in mind when attempting to nail down a daily routine with your kiddos.
I’ve been able to write this specific schedule only because I’ve made a conscious effort to notice when things started happening and what our good days typically look like. I noticed since Gracelyn was about six months old that this has been our routine that works well.
I also recall that Myles had a very similar routine when he was about the same age and it remained that way until he was about one year old. That being said, I’m not so naive anymore and realize we’ll be on to a “new normal” for our routine soon. It’s inevitable.
Your day will look a bit different, I’m sure. Every family operates a bit differently. You can use our schedule as a starting point if you don’t have anything currently. Or it might just be a nice reassurance that you’re doing things similarly to another fellow SAHM! That’s great, too. A lot of times just knowing that you’re not alone in the trenches of motherhood can be very relieving and helpful. (insert: praise hands)
I hope you’ve found some helpful nuggets in this post to try out with your family. What is a key habit/routine that you’ve formed for your “good days” that you can’t give up? I’m always eager to hear what’s working for other families! Leave a comment below!
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