Today I’m breaking down my daily routine so you can get a peek into my life as a working and stay at home mom.
We’re a week back into school and I’m in heaven getting back into my regular routine. I love summer, but going back to school is like the start of a brand new year for me.
New routines, new goals…it all makes me so happy.
What does my Daily Routine look like?
I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about my daily routine as a working mom and stay at home mom, so here’s a little outline of how a typical day goes in our home.
5:40am: My alarm goes off. (I have a whole post here about how I became a morning person)
Brush my teeth, and put my hair in a bun. I sleep with it in a loose ponytail on top of my head.
Put on my workout clothes that I’ve laid out the night before.
Head downstairs.
5:50am: Personal prayers, and 20 minutes of scripture study.
6:15am: Get my shoes on, put on my headphones, choose a podcast, take my pre-workout powder.
6:30am: Start my workout. On Mon/Wed/Fri I do circuit training. (I talked all about the BBG program I use and love in this post). On Tues/Thurs/Sat I run outside in my neighborhood. I wrote about how I started running in this post, and my running essentials in this post.
7:05am: Finish workout/cool down.
7:10am: Shower, get dressed, do hair and makeup. I’ll be sharing my 5 minute makeup routine soon!
7:30am: Downstairs to make breakfast for B and get the boys lunches packed. I always make mini bagels with cream cheese for B for breakfast, and quickly pack his lunch with a PB&J, a handful of veggies and fruit, some chips, and his gummy vitamins. He likes the same thing every day like me, and we use THESE LUNCHBOXES. Trying to get in the habit of making lunches the night before.
7:40am: While he eats breakfast, I unload the dishwasher every morning. Philip cleans the kitchen after dinner every night and starts the dishwasher. I love starting my day with the clean dishes unloaded, and no dirty dishes in the sink.
7:45am: B is off to school. Some mornings I load up all the kids and take him, and sometimes Philip takes him on his way to work.
8:10am: Back home and breakfast for the little boys. They like cold cereal, oatmeal, or a smoothie with scrambled eggs.
Fos has half day Kindergarten, so we use this time to read together, play games, get him ready for the day if he’s slept in, get his lunch made and backpack packed, etc. I also make my bed during this time because Philip wakes up after me and he never makes the bed.
9:45am: Fos is off to school.
10:05am: Home with Sanny and we have about 10 minutes before the babysitter comes over. We usually read a book or he gets a snack.
10:15am: Our babysitter comes over and I start my work time. She plays with Sanny, takes him to the park, reads with him, etc, and I feel super grateful that he’s happy and well taken care of while I get a few hours of uninterrupted work.
I eat lunch during my work hours, somewhere in here. Lately it’s been a chicken breast (I bake them on Sundays so they’re ready for the week) with 1/4 avocado, sliced cherry tomatoes, and some Everything But the Bagel seasoning from Trader Joe’s. It’s quick and delicious.
1:30pm: Our babysitter picks up Fos from school (she drives my car), then comes home and puts Sanny down for his nap. She plays with Fos for an hour before they go pick up B from school. We also carpool with the neighbors, so she only does pick up three times a week.
2:30pm: My work hours are done, all the boys are all home, and the babysitter goes home. We have a snack together and they run around like wild beasts after sitting in school all day.
3:00pm: After they’ve burned off a little energy, we play a game together, or start working on their afternoon assignments. Our school has a no-homework policy, so I have daily assignments for them to do. I talked about in my FAMILY ECONOMY POST HERE.
3:45pm: After their afternoon assignments are done, I do individual reading time with B (I do it in the morning with Fos before school). We’re currently reading and loving Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief. We read for 15-30 minutes, depending on the day. During this time, Fos does quiet time in his room, playing LEGOs or coloring and listening to an audiobook.
4:00-ishpm: They have all their afternoon things done, and now do quiet time, or go over to our neighbors and play. I wrote all about our QUIET TIME IN THIS POST. I usually get a little housework done, sneak in an extra hour of work, or scroll mindlessly on my phone for an hour.
5:00pm: I start dinner. The boys are sometimes home during this time, and if they are they hang out at the kitchen table or in the living room, or go upstairs to play LEGOs. Sanny usually wakes up around this time (he’s the best napper, and if he’s already been awake for a while he just plays or reads in his crib until we come get him…I know, he spoils us – my other children were not like this). He plays in the living room by me while I cook, helps me in the kitchen, or plays LEGOs with the boys in their room.
5:45pm: Dinner is almost ready to eat, and the boys come down and set the table. I usually pull the plates, cups, and silverware out and put it on the counter, and they all decide on their assignments and get to work.
6:00pm: Philip walks in the door and we have family dinner.
6:30pm: Everyone has to put their own dishes in the dishwasher, and then Philip cleans up the rest of dinner and cleans the kitchen. During this time, I usually sit at the table and talk with him, get my nightly instagram post ready, and the boys play out in the backyard.
7:00pm: We all go out in the backyard and play catch, or we hang in the boys room while they play LEGOs…there’s no real structure to this time. We just spend time together and unwind from the day, and clean up the house. The boys have their assigned zones they need to clean, and also are in charge of picking up the toys in their room before bed.
7:45pm: The boys get in the shower and we get them ready for bed.
8:00pm: We read scriptures as a family, say a family prayer together, and Sanny goes to bed.
8:10pm: Then I read aloud to the boys. We’re currently finishing up Five Children and It (we’re loving it, but the style of writing is very old fashioned and can get a little confusing, just a heads up). Next we’re starting Harry Potter and I’m SO EXCITED. During this time Philip goes for a run.
8:30pm: I finish reading and say goodnight to the boys. I get ready for bed, Philip comes home from his run, and we have a couple of hours to get things ready for the next day, talk, or get some more work done.
10:30pm: We put things away for the night, head to bed, and try to be asleep by 10:45 or 11:00.
Whew, did you make it?
I added a lot of little details to hopefully answer so many of the questions I’ve received over the years. But I know some of you will have questions about other parts of our life that aren’t daily…here are a few answers:
- We have a house cleaner that comes twice a month and does a deep clean on the house.
- On Saturdays we work in the garden, occasionally do a Costco run, and the boys do their Saturday chores which include some cleaning.
- I go to the grocery store once per week, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday morning right after my babysitter gets here.
- I have a weekly photoshoot every Thursday morning during my work hours so I have regular content for the blog!
- I never volunteer in my kids classrooms, because I’m putting my energy elsewhere.
- Philip and I schedule a date night twice a month on Saturday nights.
- B has piano lessons once a week, but besides that we don’t have any extra curricular activities this early into the school year. But once they start, we schedule them in the late afternoon before dinner and Sanny’s nap just gets cut short on those days.
- I try to do meal prep, make a menu, and make a grocery list on Sunday afternoons so those are ready for the week.
- Philip does all the laundry every Saturday, and then I fold everything on Sunday night.
If you have any other questions, of course I’m happy to answer, but I hope this was fun to see a peek into our daily life!
I always find it so interesting to read other moms’ schedules, especially when they work. Thanks for sharing this!
You’re so welcome! Thanks for reading, Kate!!
Thanks for sharing! Do you watch TV at all?
Hi Vanessa! I rarely watch TV. My husband and I have a show that we like to watch on the weekends occasionally, and we definitely binge watched Stranger Things last year (ha!) but typically I don’t watch TV. My husband watches the news at night after the kids are in bed occasionally too. Saturdays and Wednesdays are the days my 2 older boys are allowed to watch TV — they watch 2 episodes of something on Netflix, so about 40 mins. They do it during Sanny’s naptime, so he doesn’t watch TV almost ever. I find that my kids behavior goes downhill with TV, so we’re very sparing with it. Instead we read, play games, color, listen to audiobooks, cook together, or play catch in the backyard! Hope that novel (sorry!) of an answer is helpful! xox
Thanks for sharing!!! Super helpful!
I’m so glad! Thanks for reading!! xox
Thank you for Sharing! I found this helpful and inspiring.
I’m so glad! Thanks for the feedback, Sarah! xo
I love this routine, but I don’t have kids! Did you have a similar routine pre-kids? what changes would you make? pretty much i only have a 9-5 job and a side hustle or two but i would love to get into a better routine!
I loved readIng this! Thanks for Putting IT out Here. Also, i cant wait to read my boys haRry potter. Are you doing the illustrated ones?
Thank you so much for this detailed post! I find that reading about other peoples’ routines helps me so much to make mine more efficient. And it’s so motivating!
I love that your kid’ school doesn’t start so crazy early. My Kindergartener has to hop on the bus at 6:44 in the mornings and he doesn’t get home until 3PM. AND they don’t have a no-homework policy.
Thanks for posting this! dO YOU HAVE A POST LISTING WHAT THE CHORES ARE FOR THE KIDS; BOTH WEEKDAY AND WEEKEND?
Thanks for posting this! It’s interesting to see how other moms do it – work at home or work outside the home.
I just wanted to specifically point out that I really, really appreciate your comment of ‘I never volunteer in the kid’s classrooms because I’m putting my energy elsewhere’ – it just struck me because there’s so much guilt-peddling around not somehow managing to do everything (and therefore not being able to do everything well, and therefore feeling like failing at everything…) It’s just so refreshing to see someone being like ‘energy is finite and possibilities are not, so I allocate it this way. Period. deal.’ It’s the attitude I try to have, and to see it reflected was so great. Thank you!!
thank you for this! i’ve been frustrated that more working stay at home moms aren’t upfront about their babysitter. i roll my eyes every time someone implies that they recorded a podcast/did a photoshoot/wrote a 1,000 word blog post while their youngest napped and their older children played quietly for hours at a time. I have a 4 year old and 2 year old twins and went back to work from home part-time earlier this year as a data analyst. it takes a village to keep my life balanced and i stress that whenever i talk to other moms interested in going back to work. i’ve hired a babysitter and a cleaner, i do group personal training that lasts 45 minutes and has child care, and all my shopping is online with walmart online grocery shopping or amazon. and honestly, i personally break even after i pay for the sitter, cleaner, preschool, etc. i won’t actually be making money until my 3 kiddos go to elementary school. i personally think it’s worth it since my job is from home 4 hours a day, low stress, and will help me go back full time when i’m ready. but some of my other stay at home mom friends disagree and don’t want to work until they see a monetary return on their time. both very valid viewpoints. the more we discuss different work/stay at home arrangements, the more women will be empowered to make the best decision for themselves and their families.
I Love this! Question About eNergy… you seem to go go go THROUGHOUT the day which i GREATLY admire and would love to do. Do you ever feel energy drains? A need for an afternOon nap? Any tips to keep the energy up? Thanks so much!!
Getting enough sleep helps me SO MUCH. Also managing my energy throughout the day is really helpful. I listened to a great podcast a few weeks ago about managing energy and it has some really helpful tips: http://livefreecreativepodcast.libsyn.com/02-manage-your-energy-instead-of-your-time
Hi, thank you for sharing with us again, I’m surprised how you cope with all family responsibilities and keep your blog and even instagram. I think all the quotes about hardworking moms are on the site https://happymothersdayquote.com/ for you!
Now a days you will get so many live sports streaming sites to watch your favorite match or sports update. Like feedtoall,crickfree,steanm hunter etc.
This is really great,unique and very informitive post, I like it. thanks
Nice information, I believe that anyone who wants to know something about this topic will like the post. I really loved reading blog.
this is very nice to visit your website that provides a handful of information
I like this website so much it’s really awesome.I have also gone through your other posts too and they are also very much appreciate able and I’m just waiting for your next update to come as I like all your posts.
I have also gone through your other posts too and they are also very much appreciate able and I’m just waiting for your next update to come as I like all your posts.
Thanks for sharing this information. I really like your blog post very much. You have really shared an informative and interesting blog post with people.
Thank you for sharing this information. Love your blog post. Please Keep updating. You can also visit our blog for
This is an excellent post I seen thanks to share it. It is really what I wanted to see hope in future you will continue for sharing such a excellent post.
Post very nicely written, and it contains useful facts. I am happy to find your distinguished way of writing the post.
I am really enjoying reading your well-written articles. Thanks for sharing this.
Nice information, I believe that anyone who wants to know something about this topic will like the post. I really loved reading blog.
Greate post. Keep posting such kind of info on your page. I am really impressed by your blog.
This is an excellent post I seen thanks to share it. It is really what I wanted to see hope in future you will continue for sharing such a excellent post.
oih oirtert ert ert ert er t
nice post you always do that
Thanks For Sharing This Information
This is really a great article and great read for me. Its my first visit to your blog and i have found it so useful and informative specially this article.
This is an excellent post I seen thanks to share it. It is really what I wanted to see hope in future you will continue for sharing such a excellent post.
I really really appreciate this article Thanks For Sharing People also like this Awesome post
Nice post
I’m excited to uncover this page. I need to to thank you for ones time for this particularly fantastic read!! I definitely really liked every part of it and i also have you saved to fav to look at new information in your site.
Internet media is in full power nowadays. Have you ever think about getting fame through one of the mediums on the internet? This is happening now. Some people are getting fame through Instagram and some others are getting it through Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube, etc. Ashtyn Joslyn is a YouTube sensation that got its place in people’s hearts through creative content. You may be amazed by known that the YouTube channel Ashtyn&Jon is shared by Ashtyn and her boyfriend John.
Maureen Blumhardt has succeeded in achieving a name in society. She is known as a former American model and humanitarian. Also, she is Charles Barkley’s wife, who is a retired ‘NBA’ basketball player.
thank you for these tips! personally, I work at home right now here on https://writingcreek.com/for-college-students/ and I really love it as I can do these tasks whenever I want. Yeah, sometimes I take too difficult themes but I still like writing them all the time. and what about you all here guys?
thank you for these tips! personally, I work at home right now here on https://happyeasterimage.com/happy-thanksgiving-images/ and I’m excited to uncover this page. I need to to thank you for one’s time for this, particularly fantastic read!! I definitely really liked every part of it and I also have you saved to fav to look at new information in your site.