Stay-at-Home Mom Schedule — Tips and Advice For Moms at Home — Mother Untitled (2024)

As much as I relish the days at home with my daughters, there are plenty of aspects of parenthood I could do without. Take laundry, for example. Or planning and preparing meals. Or cleaning that perennial pile of crumbs that appears under my youngest’s chair after every meal. And yet, to be good caregivers for our children, these are precisely the routine tasks my husband and I must take on—even as doing so steals moments from snuggling our preschooler beneath a blanket fort, or sprinting beside our third grader as she sails through the neighborhood on her scooter.

Of course, it’s fair to say that each and every one of us would welcome a shortcut or two if it meant more time to spend on the stuff that really matters. That’s why we’ve compiled 15 strategies and schedules that parents in the Mother Untitled community swear by to streamline their days and find a greater sense of ease and simplicity during this busy season of life. Here are shortcuts to a simpler life at home with the kids.

1. Give Everyone a Task

On Sunday mornings we have a family meeting over breakfast. Our primary goal is to make the upcoming week run more smoothly as a team. We talk about what needs to be done each night, like washing school uniforms, making sure the cat is fed, tidying up the play area, and prepping lunch for the next day. Then, we divvy up tasks for the week and tackle it together. I’ll be honest and say my kids are not always invested, so bribing them with a small prize helps (and I’m not ashamed to say so!). - Lynn B., mom of three

2. Establish Micro-Routines

It’s always the tiny disruptions that end up throwing our days off—like forgetting to freeze a lunch bag the night before or neglecting to charge an iPad for school. As we’re walking in the door after school pickup, I give my son the same three tasks every afternoon: empty your lunch bag, put it in the freezer, put your water bottle in the dishwasher. These routines in miniature make such a difference in the next day running smoothly and take the onus off of me to remember absolutely everything for everyone! - Jenna S., mom of two

3. Schedule Meals

We plan the same meals every week: chicken and veggie bowls on Monday, taco Tuesday, pasta Wednesday, etc. I love it. Someday, I’ll be really into making dinners with fancy ingredients… but definitely not right now! - Holly B., mom of three

4. Lean Into Leftovers

I cook with enough leftovers to make lunch the next day. I also cook modular–separate and simple dishes so that they keep and I can remix them for other things. I mostly lean on dumplings and pasta. - Mimi C., mom of two

5. Be Realistic

I’m constantly reminding myself that there are limited hours in the day, so you have to choose what to focus on at any given time. - Sweta D., mom of two

6. Take Turns

My husband and I each have our designated tasks that we look after when it comes to parenting and work, (our strengths, as we often call them). He looks after wake-up, morning snacks, diaper changes, and more while I sleep in. Once I’m up, I take over while he gets ready and walks the dog. - Elisa M., mom of two

7. Assign Kitchen Duty

I hate waking up to a sink full of dirty dishes and crumbs on the floor from dinner. To make sure we (usually) start the day with a clean kitchen, our kids trade off on kitchen duty where they are required to load the dishwasher, wipe the counters, and vacuum after dinner one night each week. My 12-year-old has cleanup every Monday, for example, and my partner and I trade off helping out the youngest on Fridays. - Leah K., mom of four