Being a Work at Home Mom can get a little crazy, and let’s just be honest here, a bit stressful too. There is a lot to juggle. The children, the home, work, the husband, yourself…if there is even time for yourself. Sometimes I find myself in over my head wondering how I am going to stay on top of everything I need to do. A lot of times I feel like I am drowning and desperately needing to come up for air.

I haven’t figured it all out, it is a constant trial and error. Some days go better than others, and some weeks go better than others. But one thing I am learning is that if I take control of my day, then I can feel a little bit more in control. Funny how that works, right? Taking charge of my time allows it not to take charge of me. It gives me a better handle on what I need to accomplish and I can prioritize my day.

When I had just started on this whole stay at home/work at home mom gig, I just went with the flow. I worked on putting Jase on a schedule, but outside of that I just let my days go. I ate at about normal times, I prayed when I had time to pray, I cleaned when I had a chance to clean, I played when I felt like playing, I just kind of let the day flow. But in doing that I realized time could get away from me and I would feel like I had a lot of catching up to do. My time was starting to control me. I also realized that it had a direct impact on my mood. After a few months, it was hard to feel like I was accomplishing anything. It was hard to keep the motivation going when I was doing the same thing every day.

So I began to implement a routine. Right away I realized just how important setting a daily routine in the life of a stay at home mom was.

Why you need a daily routine:

1. Setting a routine had a direct effect on my mood. When I started to take control of my time, I felt more accomplished. In feeling more accomplished, I felt better about myself. I felt more motivated to get things done because I knew what to expect each day. I was happier feeling like I had a handle on my responsibilities instead of feeling like I was drowning.

2. Setting a routine helped me spend time with my kids. It’s really hard not to feel like I have to play with my kids all day long just because I stay home. I know a lot of stay at home moms struggle with the same thing. Just because we are home doesn’t mean every moment is spent playing with our kids. It’s important for them to learn to play alone so that we can stay on top of all our other responsibilities. Knowing what I needed to get done helped me get it done quickly and left me more time to spend with my kids. It also helps them know when to expect mommy to get on the floor and give them some uninterrupted attention.

3. Setting a routine helped me not to feel overwhelmed. Whenever I would clean the house before kids, I would take one day and deep clean the entire house. I am not exactly sure why I did that or why I thought that would be manageable with children, but let me just tell you it isn’t. Cleaning with kids means a lot of interruptions, you just have to expect that. Taking an entire day to get everything done was a quick way to feel like I was drowning or that there wasn’t enough time in a day. Putting a schedule in place and tackling things a little each day was huge at helping me not feel overwhelmed.

4. Setting a routine helps me prioritize. Setting time aside to work, clean, play with the kids, focus on my husband, and focus on myself helps me keep my priorities straight. Obviously my husband and children come first, so making sure I get what I need done earlier in the day so that I can spend time with family when my husband gets home from work. I can also focus my time on what is more important each day and give myself grace in other areas.

5. Setting a routine helps me take care of me. I pretty much have to set time aside to take care of myself. If I don’t tell myself, this time is set aside for me, I’ll get caught up doing whatever and feel like I am running on empty. I have to make sure that I am taking care of myself too or I am going to get burnt out in taking care of everyone and everything else. We mamas forget that we are important too, and sometimes we have to make ourselves remember.

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