This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Armour®. The opinions and text are all mine.
This past summer I shared my SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) daily schedule for my (then) 3-year-old and 1-year-old. I even walked through the process on how I choose to arrange certain activities during certain times, so if you’re interested in that definitely check that out. There are quite a few freebies there too to help you make your own daily schedule.
This past summer I shared my SAHM daily schedule for my (then) 3-year-old and 1-year-old. I even walked through the process on how I chose to arrange certain activities during certain times, so if you’re interested in that definitely check that out. There are quite a few freebies there too to help you make your own daily schedule.
Schedules change and we’ve become a lot busier since I published my last SAHM daily schedule! So, here is my updated SAHM schedule for an 18-month-old and a 4-year-old, including easy on-the-go options like Armour® LunchMakers® + Drink!
SAHM Daily Schedule
5:30 Mom Wakes Up
I wake up at 5:30 because (1.) I’m a total morning person AND (2.) I have to have time to myself before the kids wake up so I can basically get my game face on.
During that time I have coffee, have my quiet time, work on my Bible study, and then catch up on any emails/messages I need to answer.
6:30 Goldie Wakes Up
Goldie usually wakes up around 6:30, which is totally doable for me compared to the 5am wake ups we were dealing with last month. Most of the time she wakes up hangry, so she usually has breakfast right away. Then we just hang out and have some 1-on-1 time until her brother wakes up.
7:00 Lincoln’s Breakfast and Morning Cartoons
Lincoln gets up at 7:00 because that’s what time his OK To Wake! clock is set for. We started introducing the clock to him around age 2, and it is one of THE best parenting tools we have used!
Lincoln and I eat breakfast when he gets up, and then he watches cartoons until about 8:00AM. Goldie sometimes watches too, but most of the time wanders off and plays by herself. Maybe one day we’ll all get to eat breakfast together!
8:00 Get Dressed/Sibling Playtime
After cartoons, everyone gets dressed and then I send Lincoln and Goldie off to play in the playroom together. I really want them to have a strong bond, so I really try to encourage them to play together more…not just with me. Lincoln tries, but Goldie at some point always wanders out looking for me…. which at her age, is fine. We just roll with it.
During this time, I’m tidying up the kitchen from breakfast, and tackling any household chores that can be done quickly (doing a load of laundry, emptying the dishwasher, making the bed, etc).
Toward the end of this time, I join them in the playroom and we do our daily devotional/Bible story.
9:00 Goldie’s First Nap/Lincoln’s “School” Routine
You might remember about a month ago on Instagram I was asking advice/tips about Goldie’s transition from 2 naps to 1. Basically, she was still taking 2 naps, but she was waking up at like 5am in the morning. We tried dropping her down to 1 nap, and while it helped her sleep a little later in the morning, the daytime was horrible. Thanks to your advice, we discovered that a quick 45-minute nap in the morning was enough to get her through until her long afternoon nap.
While Goldie is napping, Lincoln and I do his “school” in the playroom. I don’t homeschool, but Lincoln has been craving some kind of school type structure at home. So we do a little calendar routine and a few activities I’ve pulled from Pinterest.
9:45-12:30 Morning Outing and Lunch On-The-Go
If Goldie isn’t already awake, I wake her up at 9:45AM so her afternoon nap won’t be disrupted. (Her and Lincoln nap at the same time in the afternoon, and I try to keep it that way by any means necessary! I can’t do the staggered naps! More about that below.)
Then we head out for some type of morning outing. Some days it’s the grocery store, other days it’s Bible Study (in which case we have to leave earlier so G usually misses that first nap), the park, the pool (in the summer). Getting out in the morning really helps break the day up for us!
My secret weapon to making sure that both my kiddos nap at the same time in the afternoon is by having lunch on-the-go. Sometimes that means lunch at the pool, during a playdate, or at the park after our Bible study. That way, when Goldie starts showing signs of fatigue, we don’t have to worry about going home and then having to eat lunch…. delaying her nap even more. Plus, we get to enjoy being outside even longer.
One of our fave on-the-go lunches is Armour LunchMakers + Drink from H-E-B. You can find them right in the deli section of the store! They’re so easy to just toss in my bag, and there’s literally no prep required from me! The kids love the Pizza with Pepperoni option because it’s basically lunch and an activity. They’re found in the deli section and are a good source of calcium and protein. Plus, the treats are made with real fruit and their drinks are made with 100% juice, which I prefer over candy. Right now, you can save $1 on Armour LunchMakers + Drink at H-E-B!
1:00 Naptime
We get home from our outing around 12:45, and the kids get pottied/diapered up and ready for their nap. By this time, Goldie is ready to sleep…and because we’ve already had our lunch out, I can put her straight to bed.
While the kids are napping, that’s when I work on Her Happy Home stuff. That can include writing blog posts, scheduling out Instagram posts, taking photos, crafting (in which I’ll take pics so I can post about it later).
Don’t have a SAHM daily schedule? No problem! Download these free worksheets to help you make your own!
3:30 Wake Up/Play
The kids usually wake up between 3PM and 4PM. If one wakes up before the other, then I just have some 1-on-1 time with them until the other one wakes up. When they’re both awake, we just hang out and play. Sometimes I’ll have an activity planned for us (especially around the holidays), or I let Lincoln and Goldie take the lead and do what they want to do. Basically, I just try to be intentional with this time and give them both my focused, uninterrupted attention.
4:30 Independent Playtime
I’m a huge believer in independent playtime, and I think it’s super important that kids learn to entertain themselves. I don’t want my kids to rely solely on me for entertainment. They each do independent playtime in their own rooms for 30 minutes. Goldie rocks the whole 30 minutes in her pack-n-play (in her room) without a peep. Lincoln on the other hand still struggles with playing independently, and I blame myself for that since I non-stop played with him whenever he wanted for the first 2 years of his life. He’ll do independent playtime…but I have to bribe him (see 5:00)
While they’re doing their independent playtime, I’m either prepping dinner, doing a few chores, or tacking a few little work-related tasks. This isn’t a huge chunk of time, so I try not to start anything that I can’t finish (I hate that!).
5:00 Daniel Tiger/Dinner Prep
I have to bribe Lincoln with an episode of Daniel Tiger if he’ll stay in his room during the entire independent playtime without calling me (for non-emergency related things). Plus, I love Daniel Tiger! It’s definitely one of my cartoons of choice. Does anyone else get the little jingles stuck in their head??
Sometimes Daniel Tiger privileges get taken away, and Lincoln will either hang out with me at the bar while I’m finishing up dinner or go off and play on his own.
5:30-6 Daddy Gets Home/Dinner
We eat pretty early! Both my husband and I grew up that way, and the kids are more than ready to eat at that time! We try reeeeeally hard to have dinner together as a family…. I’ve found that it helps with so many behavior issues. So if Chase is a little late getting home from work, we try to wait (sometimes Goldie won’t allow it ) and sometimes we won’t eat till around 6.
6:00 Play Outside/Hang with Daddy
Our routine over the last couple of months is to go play outside after we eat. It’s usually riding bikes, scooters, playing with neighbors…. it’s been so nice living in a neighborhood where we can do those things!
Sometimes I join everybody outside, but sometimes I use that time for some “me” time (especially if it’s been a particularly rough day, ya feel me?).
7:15 Bath and Bedtime Routine
Most nights, Goldie is able to stay up until 7:30. When she does, she and Lincoln will take a bath together and then Chase gets Lincoln ready for bed, while I do the same with Goldie. Our bedtime routine consists of:
- Potty and Brush Teeth
- Lotion/Essential Oils
- Jammies
- Bedtime Story
- Prayers
The kids are in bed by 7:30/7:45 and Chase and I rejoice!
7:30-??? Hubby and Wifey Time/Bed
I rarely work or do any kind of housework at night. I try to take care of most of that before the kids wake up and throughout the day. By the end of the day, I’m exhausted and the only thing I want to do is chill! Plus, I really value this time with my husband and want to spend this time just being present with him. Now, I’m not saying we’re having intense conversations every night (I mean, most nights we’re binging on Netflix!), but just being together after a long day of adulting is important to me.
What’s your “mom” daily schedule like?
I wanna hear from you! What is your SAHM daily schedule like? And what is something in your schedule you feel like works really well? Let me know in the comments!
And for some SAHM daily schedule worksheets to help you create your own, try out these freebies! Plus, don’t forget to pick up Armour LunchMakers + Drink at H-E-B. You’ll love them just as much as we do!
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