Having a routine as a homemaker and momma is important for our well-being. The routines of home care, school, meals and self-care are all part of a life style that is beneficial. More freedom and less chaos will be found once those routines are in place.
If you found this post because you feel like your life is chaos and there is no rhythm to it, then I am so happy you are here! Our world can get to be a busy place and we have to figure out how to not just get through the days, but to thrive and even enjoy our days.
As a past music teacher turned stay-at-home mom of three, I know the desire to maintain rhythms in our lives. When teaching, I had to follow a schedule for what classes I was teaching, at what time and what curriculum goals I wanted to achieve. Life at home can really be pretty similar. We have to decide what schedule to create for our home, what is important to teach and train our children on and goals for the daily life. When these are established, our homes not only function better, but we create a a whole new atmosphere for our family that is life-giving.
You may be asking, just tell me what I need to do?! Well, there truly is no formula for routines in a home, they really just need to be created and stuck to (with a little flexibility).
How to create a routine
To establish a routine, each family needs to figure out their schedules of all the people included. For me, it’s pretty straight forward, My three kids are 6 and under, homeschooled, without any extra-curricular activities and we spend much of our time together. My husband works outside the home, so his schedule is a little different, but easily incorporated into our rhythm at home.
With creating a routine, it is important to set priorities. What are the major goals for the day? Are there any activities that we have to go to? Do I want more time to do something for myself? Questions of that nature. Here’s an example of a day routine for me, with flexibility and room for adjustments if needed. I do set times for you to see, however, I never write this all out for me to personally look at. It may actually be helpful for me as well.
- 6 am – Personal time
- walk/exercise and Bible reading
- 7 am – Make breakfast and eat as a family
- 8 am – Clean up kitchen, finish getting kids and myself ready & do other home tasks (laundry, clean bathroom, vacuum, etc.)
- 9:15am – Homeschool
- 10:45ish am – Outside time
- 11:45 am – Lunch prep
- 12:15 – Lunch and kitchen clean up
- 1 pm – Nap/Quiet time for kids
- for me – meal prep, work on Youtube or Blog, read book, garden, etc.
- 3 pm – Time with kids (aka kids doing life side by side with me) –
- snack, outside time, gardening, playing games, reading…
- 5 pm – Finish supper
- 6 pm – Supper and kitchen clean up/put to rest for the night
- 7 pm – Bedtime routines
- Bible reading, songs, Pj’s, brush teeth
- 8pm – All kids in bed and my nightime routine
- self -maintenance, reading or spending time with hubby, laundry folding if needed, etc.
- 9:30ish pm – bedtime
Like I said earlier, each persons routine is going to look different. Our lives are not all the same and each season that a momma or homemaker is in is unique to them.
Tips to help maintain rhythms and routines – Avoid overwhelm
Now that the routine is coming along or even established for the home, we want to avoid pitfalls and overwhelm. Mini systems(that’s what I’ll call it) set inside the overarching routine will be of great assistance for that.
Create a meal plan
Having an idea for meals for the week either written out or typed into a phone, will help the meal time routines run much more smoothly. This will also help with knowing what to shop for when buying groceries or when looking through the pantry.
Follow a cleaning schedule
Cleaning can be something that is overwhelming if we try to tackle the entire house all at once. Having a set schedule for different areas of the house on different days has been a life saver for my home for many years. You can read more in depth On Having A Weekly/Daily Cleaning Routine.
Get the family involved
Getting the family involved with the routine is important, but also getting them involved in the day to day home life is crucial. When folding laudry, have the kids help fold theirs and put that away. Ask the kids to help set the table for the meals or even help prepare the food, if old enough. Talk to your spouse about helping with supper dishes a few nights a week or other household chores.
It never hurts to encourage family members to help out when it comes to keeping a home function smoothly.
Do laundry daily
Doing laudry every day may seem an odd tip to add, but it truly does help in avoiding overwhelm. When it was just my husband and I, I could get by with doing laundry once a week. Life has changed with having three kids. Taking a few minutes each day to do a load of towels, kids clothes, husbands work clothes, linens, etc, makes my life so much easier in the rhythms of the week.
Take some time for hobbies
Taking time to enjoy the daily life and do something you find relaxing or interesting helps balance the routine. I’m a doer and a goer. Checking things off my list and getting things done around the home tends to fuel me. I’ve realized, however, that taking time to garden or bake or even read a book, encourages my heart. Many of my hobbies relate to the homemaking life, but they still give life to me.
Make lists
Having a visible agenda for the day is so beneficial for a busy wife and momma. I use my paper planner for much of our scheduling and even daily household tasks. Seeing what needs to happen for the week and day keeps us organized, more productive and less stressed. Here is a paper planner that I have used for several years. It’s nothing fancy, but boy does it help create a better routine for my life.
Routines can be flexible
Routines that are set and established are important, however, there is a need for flexibility too. If a beautiful day happens to be in the forecast, I will often take less time for school and be outside or go on an outing with the kids. Another example would be when family comes to visit. I’m not going to keep a strict routine, but enjoy the time with the family. Getting back at it after the beautiful day outing or after company leaves is good enough. A good reminder for all of us.
I hope that you now have a better idea of how to create a routine if you don’t already have one, or that you can continue in your solid rhythms as a homemaker if you are already well established. My hope is that you enjoy homemaking and motherhood all the more because of your routines. There is less chaos and more freedom when there are rhythms set in place.
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