Mommy Come Home: Stay at Home Mom Schedule
by Alyssa Avant on August 25, 2009
in Featured, Just Memes
Welcome back!
Amy over at The Finer Things in Life is doing a series on Mommy Come Home, about the choice to be a stay at home mom. How it can be a leap of faith, how it requires certain sacrifices, some getting used to and some real life changes. She was looking for someone to write a guest post on how to be a productive stay at home mom. I’m not always as productive as I want to be, but I pride myself on being organized and scheduled.
Here’s my story:
I became a stay at home mom at the birth of my second child. I had only worked part time before, but this was still a huge leap of faith for us and I was also “leaping” into full time ministry as a Christian writer & speaker. Later I would become a freelance writer as well and begin several online business ventures. Therefore being productive is a must. Most everyone I know asks me “How do you do everything that you do?”
Scheduling, routines and being organized are three of my answers, the other two are prayer and faith. These things play an equal role in my productivity. My day must start with prayer or I feel it when I don’t. I must also rely on my faith or nothing will go right.
Scheduling, routines and organization are the other end of the spectrum that balance it all out. It took me quite some time to determine a schedule that “worked” for me and my family. This schedule also changes during certain times of the year such as “summer” or “Christmas vacation”, and I must be flexible enough to realize that. Two keys to a workable schedule are “trial and error” scheduling until you get one just right that works for you, and “being willing to be flexible”.
Second, routines, such as my morning routine of:
- getting up,
- doing my Quiet time with God,
- eating breakfast,
- cleaning kitchen
- everyone taking baths and showers,
- and working a committed 1.5 hrs on my businesses.
The routine helps me to “function” and get things done. My afternoon routine involves housework, time with the kids and a bit more work time.
Finally, staying organized is another key to productivity, such as:
- having a system for bill paying,
- a system for menu planning,
- a set grocery day,
and other similar things is how I am able to manage a household, a ministry, and a few online businesses.
The decision to be a stay at home mom is one that I will never regret taking, no matter how hard I must work to make it all work. Even though you’re a stay at home mom doesn’t mean you can’t have a schedule. It can make you feel much more productive and in control.
I am also a stay-at-home mom who values a schedule and routine! It helps me stay focused and get certain things accomplished, which leads to me feeling good about how the day has gone.
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Hi Alyssa. Thanks so much for writing this for the Mommy, Come Home series. I need to take lessons in productivity.
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About a year after I became a SAHM I lost all forms of routine/schedules (I had just had baby #3). We flew by the seat of our pants most days, the only thing that was normal was our eating times. The last year or two, I have tried to get back my routine and wrangle up our chaos. I think I’ve got things down, now, and looking back I have no idea how me made it as long as we did with no direction! Setting myself a to-do list, a routine, as well as the kids having routines, has been a life and sanity saver!
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Great post Alyssa! I love hearing how other stay-at-home/work-at-home moms balance their productivity as it is something I struggle with on a daily basis. I do have system somewhat similar to yours in place, but I really need to get it nailed down better. Thanks so much for sharing!
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Thank you for sharing. I am still in the middle of discovering just what works for our family in order to get everything done. Morning is definitely my most productive time!
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