Life-Changing Routines for Working Moms

Last Updated on December 14, 2023 by Erin

Wouldn’t you love some tips and tricks to make your day go a little smoother? I’m sharing the big five routines for working moms that have been key for me to feel like I’m able to stay on top of everything.

All moms are bad ass but working moms are their own unique brand of bad ass. It’s a perpetual balancing act of making sure you’re doing the best you can at work while making sure your loves ones are taken care of. If you’re looking for working mom routines to help you try and manage it all, you’ve come to the right place.

I think every working mom probably feels the same thing: you go through big chunks of time where you’re just thinking, “This is impossible – oh this is impossible” and then you just keep going and keep going, and you sort of do the impossible.

Tina Fey

The Importance of Routines for Working Mamas

I have been working full-time for 13 years. I have been a working mom for almost 8 of them. I was on the “baby every two years” plan, and it has felt pretty impossible at times. The key has been finding routines that make things run efficiently. Not only do routines help us stay organized and on top of things, but they also help our children become more independent with self-care tasks. When we all have predictable schedules, we thrive!

UPDATE: Since writing this post, I made a career transition to work part-time and be more available for my family. I’ll have to change some of the routines that have worked for us. That’s ok! I still fully believe in the “working mom” routines I’ve developed over the years and implement them to some degree.

Here is my post detailing my hourly schedule when I worked full time.

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1. Consistent Bedtimes Routines

This was a hard one for us to accept but it’s CRUCIAL. Your days will feel out of control if you and your family are not sticking to a bedtime routine.

Kids Need Predictable Sleep

Our kids wake up around 6:15. In order to get adequate sleep, they need to be in bed by 7:30. My kids are between the ages of 3 and 7, so they need anywhere from 9-13 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period. By putting them to bed at 7:30, I’m making sure they get close to that number. My daughter usually reads in her bed, but we have her set a timer on her Echo device so that her lights out by 8:00.

Babies, toddlers, and children all thrive on predictability. It helps give a sense of structure and safety to a world that can be very overwhelming. Even young babies can start to pick up on the different routines in their days. They might start to yawn when they hear the bath running and smell the lavender soap.

With my first child, we still liked to hang out with friends and take our pack-n-play with us so we could stay out late and play board games or watch a football game (Go Chiefs!) She was a terrible sleeper and we really struggled through a few years of very inconsistent sleep and a very overtired little one. We finally started to figure out with child number two, that you really have to stick to a consistent bedtime. Otherwise, you mess up nap times and it takes a while to play the catch-up game and get back into the swing of things.

Stick to It

We stick to our bedtime on the weekends and most holidays. Sometimes it’s irritating to our families and friends, but we just try to explain that it’s what is best for us. WE are the ones who have to deal with the aftermath of poor sleep. Not them.

The 7:30 time is not absolutely set in stone. We aren’t that rigid, but if we veer too far from that, it’s not going to be pretty. I don’t know about your kids, but when my kids are overly tired, they actually get hyperactive zoomies. Or the dreaded car-ride catnap happens on the way home, and they get just enough shuteye to make it hard for bedtime to happen.

When it’s summertime and the sun stays out a bit longer in the evening, it can get tricky. We usually extend bedtime to 8:00 or 8:30 on summer vacation but it’s still not quite dark enough sometimes. This is where blackout shades are key. We have blackout curtains in all our of rooms and a travel curtain with suction cups that makes our 3-year-old’s room super dark. We used it when he was a newborn and it’s been fantastic for getting him to sleep through the night. Bonus, it works great when we go on vacation.

Adults Need Adequate Sleep, Too

As far as MY bedtime goes, I start to naturally wind down as soon as the kids go down. Adults need 7 hours of sleep at the least. My husband and I might stay up and watch a few episodes of a show or read for a bit, but we really try to have the lights out by 9:00. That works for us. Melatonin and I are best buds 🙂

Having consistent bedtimes and getting adequate sleep is going to be the biggie for maintaining working mom routines that you can manage. When mama is tired and/or the kids are cranky, it’s a hot mess express. For me personally, when I’m tired and cranky, my anxiety increases, and I’m more prone to meltdowns and yelling. It’s just a fact of life for me. This is why sleep has to be my number one priority.

**Side notes regarding Echo devices: my older two children have Amazon Echo Dots in their rooms, and they have been a great tool for getting to bed on time. The kids will tell Alexa to remind them when it’s time to brush their teeth or get in bed. They also play relaxing music on their devices or have Alexa tell them a bedtime story if they’re having difficulty falling asleep.

Wake Up Early

*Cue the groans*

I know, waking up early is a beast, particularly when you’re a sleep-deprived mom. I promise I have some helpful tips to achieve this.

Early mornings were never my thing before kids and now I still wake up before they do, even on the weekends. This is my new modus operandi, and I have to be honest, I love it! Becoming a morning person has changed the game for me.

Up Before the Kids

You HAVE to wake up before your kids. I have figured out that if I have a slow, soft start to my day, I’m a much more pleasant person. I don’t feel rushed or overwhelmed and we get out the door with plenty of time to spare.

I have to be at work by 7:30. Right now, I set my alarm for 5:15 but my “sunrise” clock is starting to get gradually brighter starting at 4:45. It is much less jarring when your body is waking up to natural light, as opposed to an obnoxious beeping noise. I use an older model that is no longer made but I have linked an image below of the newer model. There are also budget-friendly options with fewer bells and whistles.

I have plenty of time to drink my coffee and get myself ready before the kids wake up at 6:15. Our schools start SO early where we live. My daughter’s elementary school starts at 7:30 am and my middle school starts at 8:05. Is it the same where you live or do your schools start later?

I’m usually completely ready when the kids wake up so I can help with them with whatever they need, although I’m really trying to encourage more independence from them.

Moving at a slower pace through the morning instead of rushing frantically makes such a difference and sets a great tone for the day.

Make a List, Check It Twice

I had to get very comfortable with Google Suite apps (Gmail, Calendar, Slides, Sheets, Keep, etc) when our district moved to virtual learning. I learned that using these apps kept me very organized and eliminated the need to have papers everywhere. It all syncs together across apps and devices. So handy!

I’ve started incorporating Google apps into my home life and it definitely keeps me on track. I particularly like Google Keep because it saves all of my lists in one place and my husband has access to the lists he needs to see as well.

I have a related post all about using Google Keep to stay organized.

While the kids are eating breakfast, I check my lists on our laptop or on my phone to make sure I’m not missing anything important. Or, I can add to the grocery list when I realize we are low on milk and cereal. The kids like to tell Alexa what we need using the Echo Show in our kitchen. I will sometimes transfer the items from that list to my Google Keep list. Regardless, it’s nice not having paper lists and planners to track down.

Even if there’s nothing new to see or add to the list, it’s nice to just get that reassurance before I walk out the door.

If you want access to the free Google Keep headers I’ve designed, sign up below.

Create Small Routines within the Big Routine

Even though every day is not exactly the same, there is a distinct rhythm. Here are a few examples:

Kids Morning Routine
1. go to the bathroom
2. get dressed
3. brush teeth and hair
4. go downstairs and sit at the counter for breakfast

After School Routine
1. take off shoes and put them in your basket
2. take your folders out and hang up your backpack
3. put folders on the counter for mom and dad to see
4. get a snack from the pantry (they already know which snacks are approved)
5. get homework done or play outside
6. watch a 30-minute episode of a show while mom cooks dinner

Evening Routine
1. clean up dinner table
2. go upstairs and take a shower
3. get pajamas on
4. do a quiet activity (crafts, reading, LEGOs)
5. brush teeth
6. read a book
7. lights out

Visuals Are Your New Bestie

I work in special education, so I am very familiar with visual schedules. I believe visual schedules are important for EVERYBODY, not just children who require extra supports. They have been an important part of our family life and they are the reason my children are very independent with self-care tasks and routines. Whenever I want to introduce a routine, I break it down into small steps and picture icons to match. The kids can see each step and mark it off with a dry-erase marker. They are so proud of themselves! Eventually, they start to internalize the routine and the pictures are no longer needed.

I make my visuals for free using Canva. Here are some of the visuals I made for my daughter when she was in kindergarten. She had a visual of the 5 things she needed to do before she came downstairs and a visual of everything she needed before we got into the car to head to school. We only needed to the visuals for a few months and then it became habit.

Prep for Tomorrow

Nighttime is prep time and is key for working mom routines. I’m usually dragging after the kids go down, but I always try to remind myself that my future self will thank me for this. It’s an act of self-love.

It doesn’t have to be anything too intense, but I try to get dishes into the dishwasher. If that’s too much, then I at least make sure it’s all contained to the sink. There will nights like that! It’s all good. I just know that clear counters make everything seem less chaotic to me personally.

I also need to make sure my coffeemaker is programmed to start brewing before I wake up. Nothing ticks me off more in the morning than realizing I forgot this step the night before. I was a devotee of the Keurig for many years, but when my last one broke down I decided to try a dual carafe/single pod brewer. It has saved us a ton of money by using ground coffee instead of buying pods. I still occasionally use pods, but more in the afternoon when I need a pick me up. I drink A TON of coffee in the morning, so I just go ahead and brew a carafe. I highly recommend the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew.

We also ask the kids to pick out their outfits for the next day and lay them out on the floor. Our 3-year-old loves asking Alexa the weather forecast and then we decide what to wear accordingly. It’s a great learning opportunity and builds problem solving skills.

The Big 5 Routines for Working Moms

To summarize, the life-changing routines for working moms that can help you “do the impossible” are:

1. have consistent bedtimes
2. wake up early (before the kids)
3. make lists and check them daily
4. make smaller routines and use visuals
5. prep the night before

Is there anything else you would add to the list?

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Best of luck out there, all you bad ass moms!

Sincerely,
Erin