Saying Goodbye to Chaos With A Routine

I became a stay-at-home mom four years ago, a few months after the birth of our first child, a baby girl, and much arguing with the Lord over the importance of my “independence”. He changed my heart and my plans, aligning my will with His through prayer, leading me to be at home with my daughter. I’ve had two boys since then and learned one very important thing- balance is the single most important part of living well in stay-at-home motherhood.

I enjoy structure, in fact, I require it to do well. I only recently brought structure into my daily life. I hit a wall and was living in a constantly desperate state, barely getting by, struggling to cook food for our table every night, always behind on the laundry, and just lacking organization and rigidity- two things a stay-at-home mom of three under four really needs! I enjoyed the spontaneity of my life. I didn’t realize I could have a well-structured life as well as being fun and spontaneous with my children in our days at  home. I came up with a weekly “must do” list and broke it down in certain things being done each day of the week. This schedule isn’t meant to be followed exactly, all the time, no matter what. It’s meant to serve me as a guideline to keep me on track so that I’m not overwhelmed. If I need to let some chores slide one day, I do. But there is a general organization in my home now that wasn’t there before, and everyone in my family is happier now, even the cats (I don’t forget to feed them anymore)!

Saying Goodbye to Chaos With A Routine

Keep in mind that my husband currently has Thursdays and Sundays off, and this routine has been molded to fit our weekly schedule. 

Weekly Must Do’s

Laundry washed & put away

Vacuuming

Wipe slider door

Make & freeze meals for lunches/easy dinners 

Grocery store & errands

Clean & vacuum car

Bathrooms, toilets cleaned & trash cans emptied

Kitchen & appliances detailed

Meal planning & grocery list

Date night planning

Dust

Weeding & yard work 

Sweep front & back porches

Schedule

Monday {laundry & details}

– Daily tasks

– Wash collected dirty laundry, dry and put away 

– Kitchen & appliances detailed

– Bathrooms cleaned, toilets swished & wiped, trash cans emptied

– Dust

– Sweep front & back porches

– Clean & vacuum car

– Wipe slider door 

– Vacuum

Tuesday

– Daily tasks

Wednesday

– Daily tasks

Thursday {planning}

– Daily tasks

– Meal planning & grocery list

– Weeding & yard work

– Date night planning

Friday {errands}

– Daily tasks

– Church play day

– Grocery shopping & errands  

Saturday {food prep}

– Daily tasks

– Farmers Market & remaining errands

– Cook meals for freezing & bake healthy snacks/treats

Sunday {day of rest}

– I just pick up once before heading to bed at night

If you feel you have chaos in your life as a stay-at-home mom and need some structure, I encourage you to give this a try and watch your life get easier! Structure is a good thing and can actually lead to more fun in the end!