No day is the same for stay-at-home moms. Between running errands, caring for the kids, and housekeeping, it can be tricky to create a schedule for yourself. And as someone who enjoys routines, that was one of the hardest adjustments I had to make when I decided to stay home with the kids.

So these are some tricks I found helpful to create a schedule for myself as a stay-at-home mom.

Make Your Weekly To Do Lists

First thing that has been beneficial for planning my schedule is to write down a giant list of all the things I need to get accomplished this week. This is the very first thing I try to do on Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.

Try to find a day where you can be consistent with your weekly to do lists. For me, it is Sunday afternoons.

I grab my calendar for the week and a piece of computer paper. Then I write down all the appointments we have, all the errands I have to run, all the meetings I have to attend, everything that must get done that week. I will also try to add 1-2 house projects as well. These are projects like reorganize an area of the house, or call the HVAC company for an appointment. 

Everything goes on this one piece of paper so I have all my things for the week in one place.

Write It Down In A Planner

After I have all the things written down, I grab my paper planner and start scheduling out my day. I like paper and pencil because I find it easy to move things around and see everything in a layout that right in front of me. I don’t find the digital planners as helpful for that purpose. 

First I add in times for wake up, school, and pick up into my paper planner.

Then I add in activities that are going on for the week that have specific times.

I am now left with blank times throughout the day. In those times, I add in things from my weekly to do list. Then I cross them off once they are added to my paper planner. 

Sometimes I will schedule an entire day for errands. Sometimes I will run an errand after I drop the kids off somewhere. I look to see what would fit where within the schedule of things that have specific times throughout the week.

Whatever items are left on the giant to do list are probably not going to get completed this week. Because I may not have time, or I might not have prioritized them for the week. I will add those items to my planner into the notes section so I remember things I wanted to get done but didn’t have time this week. Then I can refer back to that list when I am getting ready to plan the following week.

Clear Mental Clutter

Another thing I do every week is clear my mental clutter. Mental clutter is all the things that you have hanging out in your head that can create overwhelm. 

One way to clear mental clutter is to do a brain dump. A brain dump is when you just write everything you are thinking and feeling onto paper. It has to be written with paper and pencil because you brain is able to process that information more than when you type something.

And another way to clear mental clutter is to journal. Prompts are a great way to get started with journaling because it gives you a topic to start writing about.

And my monthly planner from Silk and Sonder includes space for all of that…brain dumps and journal prompts! 

Each month you get a new planner. And inside each planner there is space to journal, brain dump, and ideas for self care. 

I have found this planner perfect for creating a schedule as a stay-at-home mom. Since there is so much open space, I can set it up however I want. It is only for the month, which means it is small. I can carry it around in my purse. No need for a yearly planner. 

Get the Silk and Sonder monthly planner here and use code: JESSICA15OFF to get 15% off your purchase!

More Planning Tips

Each month I do a big project planning session to make a list of all the home projects we want to do that month. I also have more tips for how to schedule your day along with meal planning!

How To Stay Productive With Monthly To Do List

Setting Up Schedules And Routines

Daily Schedules and Routines for Kids

The Lazy Parents’ Guide To Creating A Schedule For Kids Covid-19

How To Keep Your Family’s Schedule Organized

How To Make A Family Meal Plan Efficiently

Stay At Home Mom Schedule

When creating a schedule for yourself, start with a one day a week to write down all the things you have to do that week. Then write in your planner all the activities and appointments you have with the specific times you have things going on. Include the items on your weekly to-do list into the open spaces you have in your schedule.

Make sure to include self-care time. Use the Silk + Sonder planner to ensure you have daily self-care time. Use code JESSICA15OFF for 15% off your purchase.

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