The most important part of any stay-at-home mom’s routine is in the morning. Let’s set you up for a great day, every day, with a morning routine you’ll love and can stick to.
1. Get up early
Earlier than that. No…even earlier.
Could you do five-thirty? Five? What if I told you that it would be the single best thing you can do as a stay-at-home mom for your sanity, happiness, and productivity?
What if you just tried it, for 30 days, to prove me wrong?
Some of the benefits of being up early as a stay at home mom:
- peace and quiet before the kids wake up
- peace and quiet before the kids wake up
- peace and quiet before the kids wake up
So important we had to say it three times.
Yes, this means you’ll have to go to bed a little earlier, cut back on the afternoon caffeine, and maybe you’ll be a little tired at first. It will be 100% worth it!
2. Drink a glass of water and get some exercise
I know, ew. It sounds so terribly boring, and you just got up early for this?!
But doing something like this for your physical and mental health is going to set you up for a great day. It might not feel like it, but your energy is high right now after a good night’s sleep, and getting exercise will just get harder as the day goes on.
So much f low-level exhaustion, headaches, and more little issues that make you grouchy during the day are caused by dehydration. Coffee doesn’t count for this (we’ll get there), so get yourself some water with ice and lemon and drink it. This one glass of water won’t cure dehydration, but it’s a good start.
Now for the exercise. It doesn’t have to be crazy. A walk is a great choice, especially if you can get outside and maybe bring the dog. If you’re worried about kids waking up and you being gone, do something in the house.
Yoga, stretching, weight lifting, and running or biking on a workout machine are all great, quiet, indoor choices.
I know that this is hard first thing in the morning, but you will never regret this step.
3. Do something for yourself
Tempted to get some stuff done that you can’t do when the kids are awake? Please don’t do it! It’s time to enjoy this hard-earned solitude (hey, it’s hard to wake up early) and do something that’s just for you.
Make a nice cup of coffee, and settle in to watch your favorite show. Put something on that you’ve recorded and that you like to watch.
Not a TV person? No problem. You can read, meditate, or do whatever you want. Just make sure you aren’t doing work or wasting time.
Things that seem tempting but are not great choices:
- Checking your email: save this for a quiet moment in the middle of the day. Don’t waste your alone time on something dumb like this.
- Scrolling social media: annoying, stressful, time-waster
- Watching the news. Ugh. No thanks.
4. Get everyone dressed and looking nice
Okay, by now, everyone is probably awake. But instead of feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by those little feet coming down the stairs, you probably feel pretty good. You’ve already gotten your time to yourself and gotten some exercise. Yay! Good morning little people! This makes you feel good, and it makes the kids feel good!
It’s time to feed your people breakfast and then immediately transition into getting everyone dressed.
What about the breakfast dishes? Hold up, my friend. Get dressed first.
Some tips for managing this hectic time of the morning when you have little kids:
- pick out outfits for small kids the night before
- have older children help little children
- make a list of expected morning chores to make sure beds get made, etc.
- have extra hairbrushes and hair ties around the house
- pack backpacks the night before
While all this is going on, you need to get dressed. Every day. Shower. Hair and makeup, if you do that regularly. The works.
My grouchiest, worst days are always when I look horrible. I don’t know exactly why, but when you look your best, you feel your best. It spreads into every aspect of your day. It’s one of the most important things a stay-at-home mom can do for self-care.
And, it’s important to have your kids looking neat and nice too, with brushed hair and matching clothes. For some reason, it makes you nicer to them!
5. Clean the house, just a little
Alright, friends. We’re dressed. We’re hydrated. Now we clean.
Every morning, you’ll have your own personal cleaning tasks you like to do. At the bare minimum, you should:
- unload the dishwasher from yesterday’s dishes
- do the breakfast dishes and wipe down the counters and table
- tidy up your bathroom
- make your bed and straighten your nightstands
- start a load of laundry
⭐️ If you haven’t developed a cleaning schedule, you need one. Read this article and pick your favorite routine.
6. Get the day moving
You’ve set yourself up for a productive day at home with your family. After your morning routine ends, have a big block of time scheduled into your daily routine to focus on your big mission for the day. It might be a fun project, a not-so-fun cleaning project, a trip to the park, or many things.
The point is, let’s get on with your day. Mornings have a way of lingering on and outliving their welcome, especially when the whole family is staying home.
You can do this
I know doing all these things every day seems like a lot. But structure and routine are so important to your success as a stay-at-home mom. A morning routine gets you off on the right foot for a good day. And how you spend your days is how you spend your life.
Let’s make them good.
