My Busy Working Mom Schedule (Day in the Life)

Last Updated on December 8, 2023 by Erin

Have you ever wondered what other moms in the trenches are doing? What does their working mom schedule look like? Is it similar to mine or are we operating completely differently? Do you ever think how does she do it all?

Let me just tell you right now…we aren’t “doing it all.” I have found that if I’m doing an amazing job at work, I’m probably coming home exhausted and overstimulated. If I’m doing a great job at home, then I’ve probably cut back on my commitments at work. Either way, I never feel like I fully have my $h!t together and I would imagine this is true for most full-time working mamas, regardless of what they may post on social media.

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A Little Background Info

• My husband and I both work in education and have similar schedules. It doesn’t always match up because we are in different districts, but regardless, it is super helpful.
• My three children are ages 7, 5, and 3. My daily schedule has evolved since they were newborns. As soon as I get a routine in place, we enter a new phase of life and things get shaken up.
• I do not have to mess with rush hour traffic. I work in the community where I live. That helps immensely.
• We wake up at 5 and go to bed around 8. All of us have early start schools which has definitely impacted our lifestyle. It’s sometimes hard to explain to friends and family why we eat dinner around 4:30 and go to bed so early. It is what it is! Once we committed to waking up and going to bed at a consistent time, our bedtime battles started to dissipate.
• There are 4 pets in the mix. A dog, two cats, and a fish. I would seriously adopt ALL THE PETS if I could.
• Right now, my oldest is the only one involved in extracurricular activities. Once the boys get started up things will get even more chaotic, and we will have to re-evaluate how many things each child is involved in.
• Both sets of grandparents live nearby and are retired, willing, and able to help whenever needed. We know we are incredibly lucky.

I tell you all of these things so you can see that everyone’s situation is incredibly unique and always changing. When I was a new mom, I scoured the internet for “Day in the Life” blog posts so I could model things after someone who seemed to have it all figured out. What works for me may not work for you at all. Take any pieces that give inspiration and adapt it to your needs. You’ve got this!

Without further ado, here’s a peek at a typical day for me as a full-time working mom and you can see why it has been so important for me to find ways to simplify my life in any way I possibly can…

My “Working Mom Schedule” (5:00 AM-9:00 PM)

5:00 AM

• My sunrise alarm clock is gradually starting to get brighter. I have an older version of the Philips Wake-Up Light and I always recommend to family and friends. It makes me much less grumpy in the morning because I’m not startled out of a dream by an obnoxious beep.
• My phone alarm goes off at 5:15 and I either get up right away or I press snooze once. If I push it more than once I won’t get to enjoy my cup of coffee while I do the WORDLE, so that is my motivation to move it.
• I grab my super snuggly new robe that was a recent Christmas gift and head downstairs to let the dog out and grab my hot coffee. Now I get to gradually wake up in bed. I try to make it to the shower by 5:45. Waking up earlier so I can have a slower morning has been a game changer for me.

6:00 AM

• I’m showered, dressed, and ready to get the kids moving. My 7-year old’s alarm on her Amazon Echo Dot has already woken her up so she should be in the shower at this point.
• The boys’ take a bath the night before so my husband and I each take a child and get them dressed. My 5-year-old is able to dress himself but some mornings he needs help moving along. My 3-year-old requires a lot of narrowed down choices in order to get through the routine (red shirt or blue? jeans or sweatpants? short socks or tall socks?). He’s a control freak like his mama.
• Our goal is to be downstairs for breakfast by 6:30. That’s the time my husband has to leave. He teaches at a high school and I’m primarily at a middle school, so we both have early starts to our day. If we are having a crazy morning, we ask the kids to grab a quick breakfast which is pre-packaged muffins or Pop-Tarts. It’s not the healthiest option but it does have the benefit of increasing their independence. We have a low drawer in the kitchen with their plates, bowls, and cups so they are starting to set it all up on their own. On easier days we try to include a more balanced meal like a waffle, sausage, and a banana or yogurt.

Related Post: Magical Weekly Routines for Kids

7:00 AM

• I keep a set of toothbrushes, toothpaste, and hair gel in a drawer by the kitchen sink so we take care of those things right before we leave.
• The kids grab their shoes from their designated basket, make sure they have everything they need in their backpack, grab a coat, and we are off! We have this routine down because for several years I had a visual schedule set up by the door. It is now habit for the kids and I rarely have to remind them what to do. I cannot stress enough the importance of visuals and consistent routines. Not only does it make life easier, but it helps your kids gradually learn skills and develop independence with tasks.
• First stop is my daughter’s elementary school. She is in before and after school care because my contract time is longer than her school day. Pro- I don’t have to sit in a long car rider line. Con- I’m still having to pay for childcare for a 7-year-old.
• Second stop is my parent’s house. They provide doggy daycare for our dachshund mix who has serious separation anxiety. They live right by my daughter’s school, and they enjoy having her around. It’s a win-win!
• Third stop is the boys’ daycare. My middle child attends our school district’s early childhood program for half the day, but transportation is provided. Thank goodness or else I’d have an additional stop in the morning and there is NO WAY.
• FINALLY, I make it to my school. I have about 30 minutes of prep time before students arrive.

8:00 AM-4:00 PM

• I am primarily at a middle school but also travel to two other elementary schools. I typically have 45-60 minutes of “plan time” in the middle of the school day, as well as a 20-minute lunch break. When the buses head out of the parking lot at 3:30, I head out as well. I DO NOT stay late for work unless there is a meeting I need to attend.
• I pick up the boys, then my daughter from after-school care, and grab the dog from my parents.
• The kids are allowed to watch a TV show or play outside when we get home. We ALL need time to decompress when we get home.

5:00 PM

• Meals in my house are EASY PEASY and I absolutely refuse to cook something that takes more than 30 minutes, unless it’s a ready-made meal that just needs popped into the oven. Meals typically include a protein, a veggie (canned or frozen steamer bag), a fruit for the kids, and a grain (rice, pasta, or a crescent roll). This is how my mama made meals for us and she was also a full-time working mom. Once I committed to this type of meal layout rather than trying to cook up new and fancy Pinterest meals, my dinner time drama went away.
• The kids have to pick up their own place settings and then they go upstairs to get ready for bed. We try to have kids in jammies by 6:30.
• My daughter has gymnastics just down the street from 5:00-6:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays. We drop her off, come back and eat, pick her up, and then she eats while the boys are getting cleaned up. Normally we eat all of our dinners together, but this is the exception.

Related post: Life Hacks for Busy Working Moms

6:00 PM

• Once the boys are cleaned up and everyone is in pajamas, we rotate through evening activities to wind down. These activities include art activities at the kitchen table (I keep these types of things in kitchen pantry for easy access), playing with toys in their rooms, reading books together, or watching Storyline Online videos on YouTube. Friday nights are always a movie night. We have that as a routine, and it helps cut down on requests for lots of TV watching during the week.
• There will be nights where TV shows are necessary. When you feel overwhelmed, use it. The TV will be a very necessary tool when you are trying to care for babies and toddlers.

7:00 PM

• At this point we encourage the kids to get upstairs, brush teeth, and get in their beds. We set up timers on our Amazon Echo devices to help with this.
• Everyone should be tucked in and lights off by 7:30 pm. We let our daughter stay up and read until 8:00. She loves to read and we want to encourage that!

8:00 PM

• OH MY GOD WE MADE IT!
• My self-care is a steaming hot bath with a book. No wine because I’ve discovered it gives me insomnia. If I don’t get this part of my routine, I am not ok. Period. I am surrounded my kids and adults all day. I have to have a quiet time without any other humans or distractions in order to function.

9:00 PM

• Time for my nightly melatonin and lights out!

There you have it!

Consistency has been the key to things running smoothly for us. Sometimes it can feel a bit monotonous, but I consider that a necessary evil as a working mom in this stage of life.

Do you have a similar working mom schedule or are we completely different? I’d love to know!

If you found this post helpful, feel free to save it and share it.

Sincerely,
Erin

P.S. Before you go, I’d love to share my freebie for creating a mom vision board. As a mom entering midlife, I have naturally been considering what I want to do with the rest of my life, and I’ve been considering some very big changes. My mom vision board is helping me consider my priorities and what will make me genuinely happy as I look ahead. I have a post with a super easy guide to creating a vision board in Canva.

You can also sign up to receive newsletters and a free fillable PDF with guiding questions for your vision board. It can definitely help get your creative juices flowing!