Creating a morning routine as a stay at home mom will increase your productivity and make you a happier mom. Include this routine in your daily schedule to feel more fulfilled.
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Time alone in the morning to mentally prepare for the chaos that accompanies motherhood is the best way to keep you from crying with your toddler.
But creating a realistic morning routine isn’t always easy.
You’ve dreamed of being the mom who wakes up before her toddler and enjoys quality time alone drinking coffee…while it’s still hot!
Guess what?
You can make this a reality. You can be that mom and you’ll be happy you created a morning routine you can stick to.
6 phenomenal tips for morning routine success as a stay at home mom
Getting up in the morning without a plan will waste your time and you’ll crawl back into bed.
You see, the first time I tried waking up before my daughter was a disaster. I was up with nothing to do.
I could’ve cleaned the kitchen but who cleans without music? And why risk dropping a pan and waking her up.
So I laid back down and felt like I wasted valuable time. But that won’t be you.
Here are a few tips to help you create a morning routine that works for your busy schedule as a stay at home mom.
1. Be consistent
You won’t get everything perfect the first time you try to do something and that’s okay.
If you have a toddler or newborn your schedule may be pretty erratic.
Keep them on a consistent schedule so you can keep yourself on a consistent schedule and be more productive.
A few things to keep consistent would be:
- Naptime
- Mealtimes
- Bedtime
If your child knows what to expect each day you’ll learn their behaviors and be able to keep crying spells to a minimum.
2. Prioritize sleep
When you get a good night’s rest you’ll have more energy in the morning which will set you up for a better day.
But getting more sleep doesn’t mean you’ll feel more rested.
Sometimes when you sleep too long or lay around too much you feel drained and get frustrated much easier.
Find the right balance of sleep for your body.
To figure this out, wake up and go to bed at the same time every day for at least a week. This will help your body adjust and make it easier to stick to your morning routine.
Mom tip: Have a bedtime routine for your toddler as well so she’ll sleep better and you can wake up well-rested in the morning.
3. Be flexible
One invaluable lesson motherhood teaches is that you aren’t always in control like you may be used to.
Now you have this small human who can’t always articulate their needs and wants which leads to bouts of frustration, also known as a temper tantrum.
You may be smack dab in the middle of your morning routine and see your little one wiggling around on the baby monitor. Try not to get upset.
Every day won’t go as planned so you have to learn to go with the flow and adjust your routine.
4. Adjust your wake up time
I like to wake up about 2 hours before my daughter because I have plenty of time to enjoy the peace and quiet before chaos ensues.
You may find waking up 2 hours before your toddler is way too much time or you get so involved in what you’re doing that you get frustrated when you’re interrupted by your little one waking up.
Start waking up 15 minutes earlier than your toddler and keep adjusting your wake up time by 15-minute increments until you find your most productive time.
5. Plan the night before
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”
Benjamin Franklin
Knowing what the day has in store for you will help you be prepared in advance so you’re not caught off guard by a dentist appointment you scheduled 3 months ago.
A few things to keep in mind when preparing the night before are:
- Activities you want to do with your toddler
- Playdates
- Appointments
- Self-care
- Meal planning
Knowing these things in advance will help you be prepared the next day.
6. Keep it simple
So many moms can’t stick to their morning routine (or any routine) because they try to jam-pack it with so many things without even taking time for a break or any downtime.
Keep your morning routine simple and add to it as you master your schedule.
7 uplifting morning routine ideas for stay at home moms
These morning routine ideas will give you an idea of a few things you can try out while you’re figuring out what will work for you.
1. Write in your journal
Journaling helps you manage your stress and express yourself in a safe, nonjudgmental space.
You can journal about:
- Your day
- Gratitude
- Manifestation
- Positive affirmations
Whatever helps you look forward to the day ahead.
2. Stretch
If you don’t want to exercise as part of your morning routine doing a few stretches will help to get your body and mind in sync.
3. Get dressed
As a stay at home mom, it’s super important to get dressed every day even if you’re not going anywhere.
Staying in your pajamas all day may make you feel depressed and like you have no purpose. So make yourself feel better and put on comfortable clothes and maybe even a little makeup.
4. Positive affirmations
A positive affirmation is a saying that makes you feel empowered. A few of my favorites are:
- I deserve to be happy
- I am more than enough
- My success is inevitable
- I don’t need to be a perfect mom but a present mom
Find your favorite positive affirmations that you can tell yourself every day.
5. Listen to music
Create a playlist full of music that gets you pumped and ready for the day. This playlist will come in handy when you need cleaning motivation, you’re working out, or when you need a little boost in energy.
6. Relax
Your morning routine doesn’t have to be all about getting as much done as possible. Take some time to relax and enjoy the silence.
7. Fresh air
Step outside for a few minutes to get some fresh air. Depending on what time you wake up you may even catch a few rays of sunlight which is even better.
3 practical sample stay at home mom morning routines
Creating your morning routine may be difficult so here are a few examples to help you get started.
These examples are based on a child that wakes up at 7am so adjust the times to when your child wakes up.
30-minute morning routine
- 6:30am- Get dressed
- 6:40am- journal
- 6:50am- stretch
- 7:00am- child wakes up
1-hour morning routine
- 6:00am- relax and drink coffee
- 6:15am- stretch
- 6:30am- get dressed
- 6:45am- positive affirmations
- 6:50am- listen to upbeat music
- 7:00am- child wakes up
2-hour morning routine
- 5:00am- write in planner
- 5:15am- write in journal
- 5:30am- positive affirmations
- 5:35am- stretch
- 6:00am- get dressed
- 6:30am- relax and drink coffee
- 7:00am- child wakes up
Quick recap…
Having time alone in the morning is crucial to help you mentally prepare for the day.
Creating a realistic morning routine you can stick to can be difficult so here are a few tips to help you succeed:
- Be consistent
- Prioritize sleep
- Be flexible
- Adjust your wake up time
- Plan the night before
- Keep it simple
Be committed to sticking to your routine.
When you rely on motivation you’ll fail, but when you’re committed you’ll see success.
LaCresha Sims
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