I never believed that this would be the life for me. The life of a stay-at-home mom. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that the stay-at-home life would be something that I could afford to do or that it would be something that I could get comfortable doing. The pandemic forced me to see that I could create a stay-at-home mom schedule. I literally lost my job and became a stay-at-home mother overnight! Before this, I used to spend most of my time at work. Away from my family. Since 16, I have worked countless jobs for financial stability and security. While all the while, I was missing out on quality bonding time and precious milestones. Then four years into my son’s life, I suddenly became more accessible and available. 

So I was at home, all of the time, 24/7.

Related: Social Distancing: Choosing to Self-Care & Keep the Faith

Subsequently, I have been dedicated to a stay-at-home mom schedule that allows me to work from home, start and build my business, complete household chores, and devote time to my husband and son.

The ultimate goal for my stay-at-home mom schedule was to have time to do it all.

Having no extra help made me realize that I needed to follow a schedule that could keep me organized and focused on my priorities: starting a business and being there when my family needed me the most. A flexible stay-at-home mom schedule would become my secret weapon, and it continues to be a routine that brings contentedness and peace. My daily stay-at-home mom schedule works well for me, and I want to share it to help other stay-at-home moms figure out a rhythm to juggling everything at home.

5:15 am 

I set my alarm to wake up 45 minutes before Landon gets up. Starting my day earlier allows me to get mentally and physically prepared for my day. I like to use this time for prayer and quick stretching exercises. Then, I will start ironing school uniforms and making Landon’s lunch to take to school. I will use any remaining time to let our family pet, Pablo, outside to use the potty and put food in his bowl.

Early mornings set the tone that I am ready to tackle anything. It also allows me to finish all my tasks at a reasonable ending time. I don’t even sleep in late! To be honest, I can’t sleep past 7 am without feeling unproductive. I like to maximize my time in the mornings by choosing not to waste a single minute.

6:00 am 

I wake Landon up and make him breakfast. I’ve got to brag that I do my best gentle parenting in this hour. I want to make sure I am helping my son start his day with some positivity. There’s lots of hugging, smiles, and I love you‘s exchanged during this time. In conclusion, 6 am is one of my proudest hours of the day.

Related: 20 Affirmations for Abundance & Success

6:50 am 

It’s time to drop Landon off at school for the day. Morning drop-offs are usually 10-15 minutes long. While we are in line, waiting to make our way to the front, Landon and I will practice repeating daily affirmations. I like to encourage Landon to have a great day, believe in himself, give his best effort, and commit to learning new skills. This type of encouragement is the final preparation before he walks through those school doors to begin his day as a Kindergarten student.

7:15 am 

After drop-off, it’s time to get started with work. Before I shift into work mode, I take 20 minutes to eat a light breakfast, let Pablo outside again, and do those things that I might have skipped earlier (prayer, stretching, meditation).

8:00 am 

After that, it’s time to dedicate myself to my brand, my business, and evolving as an entrepreneur. From 8 am to 1 pm., I give my all to writing new blog posts, creating YouTube videos, Reels, or TikToks that could help increase awareness about my business, scheduling or creating content, reviewing products, editing, etc.

I maximize my time during these hours because I can complete the bulk of my tasks without any distractions. No one is here to disrupt me or feel like I am not giving them any attention. I am prioritizing my business and my clients. I will schedule all of my consultations, client calls for social media management, and brand strategy between these hours. 

1:00 pm 

At this point in my day, I realize that I’m either hungry (if I’ve skipped breakfast) or feeling like I need to take a break. I usually make myself some lunch and watch something on tv, catch up on social media, or take a nap. Just because I can’t sleep in late doesn’t mean that I don’t know how to go lay down somewhere in the middle of the day.

1:55 pm 

After a much-needed recharge, it’s now time to get Landon from school. School dismisses for each day at 2:55. However, parents of car riders line up an hour early to prepare for dismissal. 

In conclusion, sometimes your schedule will have events that throw curveballs in your plans. 

Expect this. It’s okay.

For example, waiting to get my child home from school takes an hour out of my day, but I choose to look at this differently. Instead of viewing this as me losing out on time, I will use this time to finish up something that I was working on or do something that I haven’t had the chance to do yet.

Examples of Time Fillers for “Lost Hours”

1. creating captions for Instagram posts/ reels
2. researching blog topics and ideas
3. researching youtube video topics and ideas
4. pay a bill online
5. watch an episode of a tv series
6. digital planning

3:00 pm 

I’m back at home and back to full-time mama status. This hour belongs to Landon. He usually has so much to tell me about what happened at school! We also have snacks, do homework, and go outside to play before it gets too late. 

4:00 pm 

It’s almost time to end my work for the day. I wrap up anything that I didn’t finish that morning. Every day is different. On some days, I can say that I finished my workload by 5 pm, and on other days I can’t. Wrapping up the day helps me understand what I’ve already accomplished for the day, what’s left to do, and where to pick up the next day.

4:30 pm- 5:00 pm 

It’s time to start making (or buying) dinner. I’ve never been into meal prep, but perhaps it’s time that I start; because I never know what’s for dinner! Most of my dinner ideas come to me throughout the day. At 5 pm, I am cooking dinner or asking my husband to grab something on his way home.

7:00 pm After everyone has made it home and had dinner, I get a little bit of free time. It is the ultimate hour for relaxation and chill time. I dedicate this hour to doing whatever I want to do. 

1. conversations with my husband about his day
2. bonding time with my husband, Landon, and Pablo
3. taking a nice hot shower
4. browsing social media
5. listening to music
6. preparing for the next day (pulling out school uniforms, making lunches, cleaning up)

8:00 pm This is Landon’s wind-down hour. His dad bathes him, and after bath time, we read a 15- minute bedtime story. I appreciate this time to be able to take a break and regroup.

9:00 pm It’s Landon’s bedtime and his parents’ bonding time. Both mom and dad are exhausted by now, but we still make time for each other. We have to because we hardly have any time earlier in the day to make it work.

10:00 pm If I want to get up for my 5:15 am alarm, I need to be in bed no later than 10 pm. 

More Tips for Success

1. Don’t get wrapped up in exact times! These are the hours that work best for my life at home, and I provided them for structure. 
2. Find your rhythm and rhyme for your reason. You’re crafting the ideal schedule for your life and goals. 
3. You can still be productive throughout the day even if you don’t stick to a strict routine.
4. Plan around family bonding time. Choose the repeat times throughout the day for consistent, fun times with your loved ones.
5. Most importantly, don’t stress on days where following your schedule does not work out.