Daily Routine

by Laura
(Northern Ireland)

I need help with setting up a daily routine. I am a stay at home mum with 2 children. One is at school and the other is a toddler.

My home is cluttered with toys and stuff and I cant keep on top of chores like ironing. I would be grateful if you could give me some advice. Thanks

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Daily Routine

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Nov 30, 2009
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Developing a Daily Routine
by: Tracy

It can be very difficult for stay-at-home mothers to stick to a daily routine. This is because when you are a stay-at-home mom, the only person you are really accountable to is yourself and it is very easy to let yourself off the hook.

You'll have to do some experimenting to figure out what works best for you and what doesn't work at all.

Here are some of the things that I do. Perhaps they will help you.

I set my alarm to wake up one hour before my son has to get up for school. This gives me time to ease into the day and get my thoughts together before the whirlwind starts.

I start each day with a list of what I would like to accomplish. Before I set into action I take the time to think about the most efficient way that I can accomplish everything on my list. For example, if I have several errands to run, I think about what would be the best order...like starting from the furthest point out and working my way back home...rather than drive mindlessly back and forth across town each time I remember another stop I need to make.

I do my kitchen chores while my son is eating his breakfast. This lets me be in the room with him so we can chat as I unload the dishwasher and clean up the counters.

My son has age-appropriate chores that he is responsible for. His chores include making his bed and opening his window blinds every morning before leaving for school. This saves me from having to do it and teaches him responsibility.

Your older child should certainly be helping out around the house - especially when it comes to putting toys away.

Toddlers are busy and, even with your older one at school, you've got your hands full. The best advice is to limit the number of toys your toddler has out at one time. This will avoid over-stimulation and keep your house tidier.

If your toddler still naps, save your most time-consuming tasks or tasks that require more focus, for nap-time. If you try to do these kinds of chores with a toddler underfoot you will wind up spending twice as much time from the constant interruptions.

Try to start each day by writing down a schedule of the things that you will do during each hour of the day, start with breakfast, include snack time, lunch time, nap time, play time, clean-up time...try to include everything you "HAVE" to do each day and then see where you can logically fit in the other things that you "WANT" to do.

You might not be able to accomplish everything on your schedule, but writing it down will help. It will also help to get you into the habit of being mindful of the time and realizing how long it actually takes you to accomplish certain tasks so that you can schedule better.

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Nov 30, 2009
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Submitted by: Tracy

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It can be very difficult for stay-at-home mothers to stick to a daily routine. This is because when you are a stay-at-home mom, the only person you are really accountable to is yourself and it is very easy to let yourself off the hook. You'll have to do some experimenting to figure out what works best for you and what doesn't work at all. Here are some of the things that I do. Perhaps they will help you. I set my alarm to wake up one hour before my son has to get up for school. This gives me time to ease into the day and get my thoughts together before the whirlwind starts. I start each day with a list of what I would like to accomplish. Before I set into action I take the time to think about the most efficient way that I can accomplish everything on my list. For example, if I have several errands to run, I think about what would be the best order...like starting from the furthest point out and working my way back home...rather than drive mindlessly back and forth across town each time I remember another stop I need to make. I do my kitchen chores while my son is eating his breakfast. This lets me be in the room with him so we can chat as I unload the dishwasher and clean up the counters. My son has age-appropriate chores that he is responsible for. His chores include making his bed and opening his window blinds every morning before leaving for school. This saves me from having to do it and teaches him responsibility. Your older child should certainly be helping out around the house - especially when it comes to putting toys away. Toddlers are busy and, even with your older one at school, you've got your hands full. The best advice is to limit the number of toys your toddler has out at one time. This will avoid over-stimulation and keep your house tidier. If your toddler still naps, save your most time-consuming tasks or tasks that require more focus, for nap-time. If you try to do these kinds of chores with a toddler underfoot you will wind up spending twice as much time from the constant interruptions. Try to start each day by writing down a schedule of the things that you will do during each hour of the day, start with breakfast, include snack time, lunch time, nap time, play time, clean-up time...try to include everything you "HAVE" to do each day and then see where you can logically fit in the other things that you "WANT" to do. You might not be able to accomplish everything on your schedule, but writing it down will help. It will also help to get you into the habit of being mindful of the time and realizing how long it actually takes you to accomplish certain tasks so that you can schedule better.

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