Creating a Housekeeping Schedule as a Stay at Home Mom
Before I left work to stay home with our son Mayne I was a to-do list girl in the workforce. I got a hit of dopamine every time I marked something off my schedule or to-do list that day. It helped motivate me to continue on to the next task, and at the end of the day I felt empowered looking at my list of highlighter marked off tasks.
A year into becoming a stay at home mom I found my days feeling a chaotic. I had set a schedule for Mayne for naps, meals, walks, play and reading because I read so many things saying how beneficial it was for a young child to have a schedule. The mindset is that it helps give them a sense of security and helps them feel safe at a time when everything inside them is changing and evolving so fast. (Relatable as an adult too) I had his schedule set for months, but had yet to set one for myself.
You’re a mom- you know how easy it is to think of everyone else while putting yourself on the sidelines. My days felt chaotic even though Mayne had his schedule. It hit me that I hadn’t created my own schedule. Why should staying home be any different than being in the workforce when it comes to creating a schedule for myself and getting things done more efficiently? After all, I consider raising my son and keeping the house in order to be my job now. Creating lists and having a schedule motivated me and kept me on target with goals in the workforce, so why should it change now?
My days revolved around Mayne’s schedule and without a schedule of my own the cleaning, errands, and other household work just kind of fell wherever and whenever in a chaotic manner. Sometimes at the end of the day I’d look around and ask myself What the hell did I even do today? outside of chasing a toddler (which is a huge feat in itself that shouldn’t be downplayed). I’d had full intentions of cleaning the bathrooms, or going to the grocery store, but time got away from me without a true plan in place.
To be transparent, my husband has no expectations of me keeping a house perfectly clean. He cleans the dishes and kitchen after our meals at night and we both do laundry as needed. If I didn’t clean throughout the week he’d clean with me on Saturday mornings just like we did when we both worked full time outside the home. He believes it’s his equal responsibility to clean and run errands even though he’s the only one earning an income. God bless Him. My sole purpose as a stay at home mama is to hang out with our son and help him learn to navigate life. I however have set a goal for myself to keep the house and run all the errands through the week so when the weekend arrives we have maximum time together as a family without worrying about housework or grocery runs.
Setting Goals
To create a schedule I started by setting specific daily, weekly, and monthly goals just like I did when in the workforce. We have two medium to large dogs that shed like crazy so the floors being dust mopped/ vacuumed everyday is a huge must in our household. Daily goal activated. I’m often cooking three meals a day at home so keeping the kitchen tidy and countertops spotless is also a non-negotiable. Another daily goal activated.
I’d love to mop everyday too but that’s just not going to happen. When I was growing up my mamaw had the cleanest house you ever laid eyes on. She swept and mopped everyday. Ironed her sheets and napkins along with every other piece of laundry. A few years ago she was reflecting on keeping a house and said ‘You know I was really crazy for doing all that everyday, I’d even bathed the kids twice a day.’ When I feel personal guilt for not mopping multiple times a week with two dogs, a toddler, and a husband who can’t seem to remember to take his shoes off inside I think about my mamaw. Her reflection of all that time spent mopping and cleaning everyday instantly turns that personal guilt into dust. Weekly goal activated.
I put the less desirables like cleaning the baseboards, fans, and windows into a less desirable category and called it a day. Monthly goals activated. If I’m honest with myself dusting is probably going to end up there too, because who likes to move all the objects from a shelf or table to dust? A little dust on the furniture and handprints on the windows make a home looked lived in anyway. Especially since those handprints are so tiny and adorable in this season of life.
What’s Most Important to You?
Reflect on what is most important to you and your household. If mopping everyday is a non-negotiable then do it sister. If you’re happy cleaning the baseboards once a quarter that’s perfectly fine. I feel like social media and all the mom content creation does more harm than good for our psyche as stay at home moms. A lot of the perfect parts of these mom’s lives are shown. The perfectly kept homes, the perfectly cooked meals, served with a smile. It’s not like that. You know it. I know it. The people posting these videos know it too. You can’t see their baseboards, and smartphone cameras cant pick up the dust on their furniture. Reflect on your family, your home and do what’s most important to you. It’s all about finding your flow.
Creating a Spreadsheet
My Current Schedule
I created a spreadsheet for my housekeeping goals and divided it into a daily, weekly, and monthly schedule. I also keep a weekly to-do list for any errands or things outside of my housework schedule. Here’s my own personal spreadsheet to give you an idea. The spreadsheet was created in Canva. I’ll drop a link to the template at the bottom of this post so you can create your own. It’s free!
Adapting to Change
One of the biggest hurdles of being a stay at home mom is adapting to change. I’m sure you already know this. Whether you’ve only been staying at home for a few months or you’ve got years under your belt. When your child’s schedule changes on a one off week or day, unfortunately mama’s schedule changes too- it’s inevitable. We can make lists and spreadsheets all we want, but they are going to be interrupted by babe (often I might add).
This was a tough one for me to navigate at first. How naive was I to think I could get everything done when and how I wanted to with a baby/ toddler at home? I thought an entire day of not being in an office could easily allow me so much free time. Oh do I laugh at the things I thought would happen before I was a mama. Adaptability has become somewhat of a superpower. It’s one of the single most important aspects of the day that allows me to not lose my mind in chaos. Adaptability keeps me sane.
If there’s a day when the house looks like a total wreck that’s okay. Maybe you didn’t get hardly anything on your to-do list done the entire week- that’s okay too. It’ll be there tomorrow for you to pick back up. When the days are hard and the house is a wreck I tell myself it won’t always be like this. One day I’ll wish toys were scattered everywhere and tiny hands were tugging at my shirt begging to be held while I’m trying to vacuum.
Make Your Own Schedule Here
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