I have three children, almost four, all four years and younger, making my days very full! These habits for mom are certainly vital for me to keep my head on straight in the busyness and chaos, and even in the slower, more mundane days of motherhood.
When mom has specific habits each day, including these very practical ones I shared earlier, it doesn’t just keep the house flowing and functioning properly. It also gives mom the sanity she needs to provide for everyone’s emotional needs.
While most of us naturally fall into our daily habits and routines, sometimes we also need to be intentional about including specific activities in those routines. There are habits for mom that I am intentional about including each day, because without them, I’ve noticed some things just fall apart.
What habits will you be intentional about adding to your routine? If you have one, two, three, or more little children underfoot, then take a few moments to consider your day-to-day life and if any of these habits would benefit your family. You can always add one in at a time, or take one out that is too overwhelming for you.
Let’s check them out…
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Cycles of Chores
First up is what I call my cycle of chores. As a stay-at-home mom, I have time to get the chores done each day, but I must do them during their scheduled time. Otherwise, they may not get done due to procrastination or distraction, and then in turn become overwhelming.
The key is to stay on top of everything each day so that you are never at a point of too much! So, form a cycle of chores for yourself where you schedule them to be done at a certain time of day each day. For example, this could be always washing the dishes after each meal. Or always doing the laundry in the morning, as it is for me.
In the morning, after breakfast, I wash the dishes, start a load of laundry, and make sure I know what we are having for lunch and pre it if need be. Some days, I also put a few loaves of bread in the oven that fermented overnight. Then we do our animal chores (we live on a homestead) and enjoy the day, or run errands.
After lunch, I switch the laundry over, prepare and cook dinner (or delay starting it so it will cook at the right time), and tidy the house before nap time. After dinner, I clean up the entire kitchen and dining room, fold the laundry, and we all clean the entire house together. Then we do our evening animal chores. Other tasks like cleaning the bathroom, organizing a room, etc., are mingled in on specific days throughout the week.
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If I were to do the laundry in the afternoon instead of the morning, which sometimes happens due to appointments or other events, it certainly throws my day off, and I more easily forget about it. Or, if I don’t make prep dinner right at lunch time, I often don’t have it ready in time.
Consider what chores you need to get done each day, and when is the best time of day to do them. If you have some older children, consider how they can be involved. Then stick with your cycle of chores for a few weeks until it becomes one of the habits for mom that grounds you!
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Tidy Times
Another key habit for me each day as a mom of little kids is establishing tidy times. These are during transition times during our day. Particularly, before meals and before nap time or bedtime we clean up all of our toys and make the house tidy again.
That doesn’t mean the house is spotless or perfectly clean, but it is visually pleasing to see if you are passing through the room. I will say this is only possible when you keep a minimal amount of toys, and it is very easy for your kids to put them away. Young children need things minimal, easy, and simple. When it is not overwhelming for them, they are perfectly capable of cleaning up after themselves.
There are so many amazing benefits to this that our family has noticed. First, we enjoy the visual rest it gives our family throughout the day. Second, the children come back to their toys, excited to play with them again. Third, it teaches the children to clean up and put things back after they are done with them, giving them a sense of accomplishment and responsibility. And last, it allows me, as the mom, to rest during naptime while my children are also resting, as I am not using that time to just clean up after them.
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Spare Moments Not Lost
One thing I have grown in over the years of motherhood is noticing when I moment is truly a spare moment. When you realize all the children are playing so nicely together, and you have ten minutes to yourself. Or when you realize a task didn’t take as long as you expected, and you have some free moments in your day now.
Whatever it is, when the spare moment presents itself, enjoy it! Grab the book and read a chapter or two. Sit down and drink your tea or coffee. Or bake a special treat that no one was expecting.
Snatching those spare moments to enjoy the pleasures of life for yourself can truly be so refreshing to us busy moms! Don’t pick up your phone and waste it away! The key is to find fulfilling rest, even if it’s just enjoying the silence, in those moments. Make it a habit to look for the spare moments each day.
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Donation Bin Ready
I mentioned having minimal toys above, but having a minimal house in general is so beneficial! A habit I have formed over the years is just having a donation bin in the corner of my room.
As soon as I notice something that we don’t use anymore, it goes straight to the bin. It keeps the house less overwhelming and calmer. And I’ve noticed that if I don’t have a bin set aside for donations all the time, I won’t be proactive with it.
Which is why this wasn’t a habit for so long. For it to be a habit, you have to constantly have a place to bring those donations where your kids won’t find them and ask about them! Some people use the back of their car or a storage room. Find a spot and keep adding to it until you can bring it all in and say goodbye for good! A bin like this is a great option.
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Quiet Time
As moms, we need our own quiet time! It can be hard in several seasons of motherhood to get up before the kids, or stay up later than them at night, to find this time. Currently, my quiet time is during the kids’ nap time. This quiet time is from 1 pm to 3 pm every day.
Even if all my children don’t fall asleep, they know the routine of tidying up after lunch and getting ready for nap time/quiet time. Everyone spends a couple of hours alone at the same time each day to rest and recover before tackling the rest of the day.
I especially love to listen to podcasts or read books during this time. I also use this time to read my Bible, journal, and pray. It helps me refocus on what truly matters each day, and it helps my children get the rest and recovery they need as well. One of the best habits for mom is to have a family quiet time each day!
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Food Prep
When I shared my cycle of chores, I also shared that I prep all my food in advance. This has been a sanity-saving hack I cannot go without now! It keeps meal times easy, simple, and so convenient! And did I mention that I make all our meals everyday from scratch?
The key is to always be one meal ahead of the next. I always keep breakfast super easy. It’s scrambled, fried, boiled, or casseroled eggs (we have our own chickens, and so this is always an option). Sometimes there is fruit or bread to go with it. Lunch is always leftovers or something easy like sandwiches. And then dinner is prepared at lunch time, so there is no more food prep work to be done after 1 pm. I always make sure there is meat thawed, and if not, then it’s pasta night or an egg dish again!
Make it a habit to always be thinking at least one meal ahead. For some people, this means a planner with specific meals planned. For others, it might just be go-with-the-flow, but still on top of it. I fall right in the middle there. Find your rhythm, and just be thinking ahead!
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Schedule Time With Other Moms
Lastly, make sure that you have one of the most important habits for mom: being with other moms! You need community, support, and friendship as a mom. For me, it’s been hard to find this unless I specifically write it into my schedule on the calendar.
With lots of little kids underfoot currently, for me, that means being a part of our local MOMCO group. It forces me out of the house every two weeks to be with other moms. I get to learn about important topics, and just have fun and socialize while my kids also have fun in childcare!
It also means meeting up semi-regularly with other moms in my church community. Or, inviting moms over to my house for playdates. Whatever it is, I need to write it on my calendar so that it happens! Find those play groups in your community and go to them. Be vulnerable, get past the awkward stage of friendship, and don’t be scared to reach out to those moms. (I’m preaching to myself here, too!)
Which of these habits for mom will you be intentionally adding to your day-to-day routines? Let me know in the comments below!
Kelsey at GoodPointGrandma
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