As a stay at home mom, there’s a lot to balance: trying to be a mommy, housekeeper, wife, cook, and so much more, let alone caring for yourself.
There is no manual on on how to be a stay mom. But after 8 years of being a stay at home mom, I’ve learned a lot!
I love sharing my tips with other stay at home moms here on this blog, through my emails, and in my paid products.
So today, I’m sharing quick action steps you can take today that will make the biggest impact. Then I’ll share an extensive checklist of things to do each day and each week.
The checklist has a lot on it, but don’t feel like you have to tackle it all at once. Start small.
If it feels overwhelming, pick one thing to accomplish each day. As it becomes a habit, you can
add more.
Things to Do Every Day No Matter What
Here’s a quick start guide to being a stay at home mom. If you’re just starting out or maybe you’ve been at it for a while, but are finally ready to get yourself together at home.
These are the 5 things you should make a habit of doing every day. They will make the biggest impact.
Once these things are a daily habit, you can start adding in the other things in the checklist below.
1. Get ready every morning.
Don’t stay in your pj’s all day. Put on a simple, comfortable outfit that makes you feel
good.
You’ll feel better and be motivated to care of your home and family. Put on a little
make up. I like to wear concealer, mascara, and lip gloss even on the days I’m at home.
2. Follow a simple daily schedule.
When you are home all day with no plan, you feel a bit lost and before you know it your
day is over, but you didn’t accomplish much of anything.
Instead, create a simple, flexible schedule. These will give you purpose and focus.
3. Do one load of laundry a day.
Laundry is one of those things that can easily get out of control. Instead of letting it pile
up to a point where it feels overwhelming, make a habit of throwing in a load of laundry
every morning.
Add it to the dryer mid-morning, and folding it after lunch each day.
4. Have a plan for dinner.
Your family has to eat, so don’t let supper time sneak up on you without a plan. After
breakfast, make sure you have a plan for supper.
Check your freezer and cupboards to make sure you have everything for your meal. Keep it simple with a frozen pizza and salad or marinated pork chops, applesauce, and frozen broccoli.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are lots of dinner ideas to help you.
5. Clean up the kitchen at night.
One of the best ways to make your life easier as a mom is to wake up to a clean kitchen
in the morning. Make it your goal to clean up the kitchen every night after supper.
Put away leftovers, wash the dishes, and wipe down the countertops. It really won’t take
long. You just have to get started! Make it part of your evening routine.
Daily Checklist
If you want to thrive as a stay at home mom, but aren’t sure where to start, this is a detailed list of things you should be doing every day to keep your house clean, prepare meals, care for yourself, and connect with your children.
- take a shower and get dressed
- drink plenty of water
- have a quiet time of Bible reading and prayer
- incorporate movement and/or exercise throughout your day
- eat healthy meals and snacks
- go to bed on time
- load of laundry
- wash dishes
- wipe down kitchen counters
- sweep/vacuum floors as needed
- make bed
- sort mail
- general tidy up
- prep any food earlier in the day
- make supper
- look ahead to the next day’s meals
- defrost meat for the next day
- eat a meal together as a family
- make an intentional one-on-one connection with each child
- tuck your children in bed each night
Weekly Checklist
- clean bathroom(s)
- dust
- mop
- change bed sheets
- get rid of clutter
- meal plan for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- check pantry and freezer for food
- create grocery list
- grocery shop
- prep produce
- connect with a friend
- date night with your husband
- attend church or Bible study
How to complete everything on your checklist
The best things you can do is follow daily routines. Start by planning your morning. If you know what to do every morning, you’ll be more likely to get those things done.
Once you have established a morning routine, develop an evening routine. Make a habit of completing these things every single night.
Another thing that will help you, is to write everything down in a planner (affilate link). See mine below.
I want to remind you that as a stay at home mom, you are doing the most important work you will ever do!
By keeping your home clean and organized, doing the laundry, and cooking meals, you are doing more than just chores.
You are creating a home for your family to live and love and grow. Home should be a place where your family wants to be. What an awesome responsibility!
Maybe that responsibility has been hard. I want to help you! That’s why I created the free Balanced Mom Checklist. It’s a convenient printable of all these things included in this blog post to help you balance homemaking and motherhood.
Some days it will be harder to follow through on all of your stay at home mom responsibilities. That’s why it’s important to define your “WHY”.
Knowing why you want to find balance will keep you going when the going gets tough.
Checklists are wonderful. They help you stay focused and productive. However, be sure that you don’t get so caught up in a checklist that you forget why you are doing all of these things.