How To Create a Simple SAHM Daily Schedule | Free Template

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Let’s create a Simple SAHM Daily Schedule in just 10 minutes! Don’t believe me? I want to reassure you that it IS possible to create a simple SAHM routine that works and quickly. This post outlines the steps I use weekly and provides a free printable that you can download to create your own. I do this every week in about 10 minutes with no fuss!

Even if you would say you’re just “not a planner”, I promise you can use my simple approach to create a SAHM daily schedule. Before I had the opportunity to be a stay at home mom, I was a Program Manager. I talk about this some in my about page. Planning, budgeting, and meeting goals is my expertise and I know how to do so efficiently. I am applying the same principles used in my career to our home. We’ve been able to live the simple life we’ve always wanted. I’m so happy to share these tips with you!

Step 1: Identify YOUR values, priorities, and goals.

Before you start trying to create a schedule, you need to consider your values and priorities. These will drive decisions, whether you realize it or not. Being proactive and considerate of your values and priorities will save you a lot of time and stress. I even recommend this as an important step when creating a family budget. It’s a critical step.

For example, if learning how to cook from scratch is not a major priority right now, you don’t need to set aside a large chunk of time for cooking everyday. However if it is, you want to make sure you leave margin for cooking. Cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be difficult, but it certainly can be. Or if you are starting a new routine, such as homeschooling, now may not be the time to say “yes” to every social invitation. You’ll have to choose the right balance for your family.

You should also ask yourself why you need a schedule as a sahm. Are certain areas of life feeling chaotic? If so, is there just a lot of things going on? Or is the opposite true and you don’t really have much to focus on, causing you to spend your time inefficiently? Doom scrolling, anyone? I’ve been there. That was one of the driving motivators for me to start this blog, actually!

Before you put your pen to paper, you must know why you’re taking this step of creating a sahm daily schedule. This will help you create a sahm routine that works specifically for you and aligns with your values, priorities, and goals. The goal should never be to plan out your week just because “Sally Sue does it, therefore so should I.”

Step 2: Use a Paper Planner when creating a SAHM daily schedule

I can hear some of you now, “But a digital planner lets you create recurring events. It’s so much easier.” Listen, I was a Program Manager in the tech world…I’m not knocking technology. However, I truly think it is best to use a paper planner for most things. I’ll get into my exceptions down below. But I want to go over why using a paper version is valuable first:

Why you should use a paper planner when creating a SAHM daily schedule:

1. It allows you to spend less time on your screen. I’m willing to bet that most of us wish we spent less time in front of a screen, phone or otherwise. I know I do!
2. Writing things down helps you to remember. I’m pretty sure everyone knows this, but handwritten notes help you retain information.
3. It doesn’t necessarily take anymore time (at least using my method does not).

When should you use a digital planner as a SAHM?

Really, my only exception here is when I have an event that others need to be aware of. For example, when one of our children has an appointment and I want my husband to be aware, I will not only write it down in my paper planner, but I will also create an event in my phone’s calendar and add my husband to it so that he is aware. He doesn’t have access to my paper planner 24/7 like I do, nor does he want it. Only the essentials are shared with him and that works well for us.

A digital calendar isn’t a requirement for everyone, but you’ll at least need a paper planner. If you’re a family with school aged children and lots of activities, you may benefit greatly from using a digital calendar like a Skylight. I’ve heard amazing things about this system. It may be something that we invest in eventually as our children get older!

What type of paper planner is best for creating a SAHM daily schedule?

There are two main criteria for your paper planner that you need for creating your SAHM routine:

1. It needs a simple monthly view.
2. It needs a weekly view and by the hour.

The good news is that you can find free stay at home mom schedule printables on the internet everywhere. I’ve even created one for you that you can download for free. The download includes:

• A worksheet to help you identify your values, priorities and goals in this current season
• A checklist to ensure you plan an efficient and realistic week
• A brain dumping template for planning your tasks
• A weekly schedule template you can print again and again to plan your weeks and a monthly calendar
• An example of how I fill out my SAHM daily schedule every week

Once you get into a consistent rhythm of mapping out your week, I’d recommend purchase a real planner. Just keep your budget in mind! I personally use this planner from Clever Fox and have been since January. You get a lot of value for the cost and the quality is great. (I also use their budget planner and enjoy it!)

Pro tip: If you do purchase a paper or printable planner, ensure that it is undated. The reality is that some seasons get chaotic. Before you know it, you’ve missed using your planner for a few weeks. I don’t want you to waste your pages (a.k.a. money), so be sure to grab an undated planner!

Step 3: Set aside time weekly to plan out the week ahead.

Every week, set aside 10-20 minutes to plan out the upcoming week. You’ll also want to spend about 10-20 minutes once or twice a month to plan for the month ahead. When you’re new to planning, this could take you closer to 30 minutes the first time or two. It gets easier with repetition because you’ll notice (or should notice) recurring patterns in your schedule.

I typically take 10-15 minutes on a Saturday or Sunday during afternoon quiet time to look at our upcoming week. Because our rhythms are so dialed in right now, I’ve actually been able to get it done in less than 10 minutes. So if you would say you “aren’t a planner” I think this method will be perfect for you. It does not require sitting down and mapping out every little task. We’ll dive deeper into this below.

Step 4: Write down any known appointments in your planner.

As you are planning out your week, the first thing you should do is write down any known appointments. These are things that truly tied to a specific time, such as school, doctor appointments, etc.

For example, our middle child has speech therapy a couple of days every week, so I know I must write those down and other things will have to happen around these specific times. In the fall, we are starting a preschool co-op, so when that begins I’ll be sure to block off that time.

Pro tip: If it’s an appointment out of our home, I will write ” EZ ENT appointment – leave by 3:45.” I like to write in what time to leave so that I’m not trying to think day of when we should leave. I’ll be able to quickly look at my planner in the morning and say “OK, we need to be ready and out the door by 3:45.”

Step 5: Timebox each day into different blocks based on existing natural rhythms your family already has.

Taking into account any existing appointments that you’ve noted, begin to timebox each day into different blocks based on existing natural rhythms your family already has. Our family has five naturally-occuring timeblocks or transition periods based on sleeping and eating times. You probably have very similar ones! These are our natural timeboxes:

1. Early Morning Routine – My husband gets up at 4:30am for work, so I wake up with him. I spend the early morning hours drinking my coffee, reading my bible and working on the blog. This gives me some restful time before the children awake. Before I started, I assumed waking up at 4:30am would be difficult; however I’ve found that it has been restful. I know that probably sounds insane, but it’s true. Having time to myself and with God before anyone else is stirring has been so wonderful for my mental state.
2. Morning routine – Once the children wake up, I transition into preparing their breakfast and changing them. We dedicate our morning routine to a mix of quality time together, learning, playing, outside time, chores or running errands. The morning routine ends as we move into lunch and the kiddos go down for quite time.
3. Quiet Time – Our two youngest still nap and our oldest sometimes naps. Regardless, everyone has “quiet time” and that allows me to get a little break. It is important for us to have breaks in our routines as stay at home moms. If you were working a “real” job, you would get breaks. Take this time to refresh your soul doing whatever fills your cup – prayer time, journaling, eating a meal alone, listening to a podcast, etc.
4. Afternoon Routine – Once the kiddos wake up, we transition into our afternoon routine, which puts the focus back on our home and our family. This usually encompasses lots of play time, dinner prep, outside time, etc. We end this routine with dinner, post-dinner tidying and the kiddo’s bedtime routines, which transitions us into our last block.
5. Nighttime routine: My husband and I get up at 4:30am, so as you can imagine, we tend to turn in early most nights. We aim to be asleep by 9:30. During that 1-2 hours after the kids have gone to bed, we use this timeblock to focus on us as much as possible. This usually includes quick showers and bedtime routine things (contacts > glasses, teeth brushing, taking vitamins, etc.), talking uninterrupted, watching a favorite show together, reading side by side, or sharing a snack. Ultimately, this just gives us time to reconnect and wind down after a long day of hard work.

Note that the timing of each of these blocks will vary by family (I’m not recommending everyone get up at 4:30am…) and even by day sometimes! We try to keep them as consistent as possible in our home. Most children thrive with a routine, but the beauty of these natural rhythms is that it can be flexible, while still providing structure.

As you begin to recognize these rhythms in your home, use them as a guide for scheduling future appointments. For example, I rarely schedule anything during our “quiet time” unless it is a necessity or special occasion. I know that I prefer to use our morning or afternoon block. This is when we like to get our necessary work completed. If you find you struggle finding a rhythm that works I’ve shared 25 tried-and-true strategies in time management for busy moms in this post that can help you simplify your schedule and routines.

Step 6: Identify the top priorities for the week in the areas of home, self, and relationships.

After you’ve written down any specific appointments and timeboxed each day according to your family’s natural rhythms, you can easily recognize what you can reasonably accomplish during the week. Below I want to specify what you should wirte down and what you should not write down when creating your SAHM daily schedule.

Write down:

Tasks that do not occur every day but must be done.

For example, my kiddos and husband eat protein waffles for breakfast every morning. Once a week, I will make a huge batch for the freezer giving us a quick and easy breakfast option. It needs to be done, so I work it around any existing appointments. It usually takes an hour during one of our morning blocks.

Tasks that cannot be automated, but need to be completed manually.

For example, our trash service has to be paid quarterly and by check. After we’ve received the invoice, this is something that I will write in my planner in one of my morning blocks. It by no means needs to be at a specific hour, but I need to ensure it is completed so it is mailed before its due date, so it’s still critical that this task gets taken care of that week.

Another example, if we are celebrating one of our children’s birthdays the upcoming weekend or heading out for an upcoming trip, I’ll be sure to write down any critical tasks for those situations. Because they are not part of my regular routine, I need to make sure I jot them down so that I do not forget to complete them.

New habits that you have yet to incorporate into an existing rhythm.

For example, if you are starting a new supplement, but are finding you are easily forgetting to take it everyday, write it down in your planner during a time when you would like to begin taking it. If I were starting a new supplement, especially one that needed to go with food, I would write down “take ‘new supplement” down in a timebox near a mealtime. Eventually, it will become a habit because you are pairing it with an existing task (we love a good habit stack hack around here!) and you’ll no longer need to write it down, but in the meantime, it’s a great way to help get a new habit started.

Do Not Write Down:

Every little thing you do or where you already have a natural rhythm in place.

Doing this is not helpful or a good use of your time quite frankly. If you had to write everything down, most of you would quit using your planner after a week. It’s too much and unnecessary.

For example, I unload and load the dishwasher every day and start a load of laundry in the morning. Because I do this every day as a habit, I don’t need to waste time and energy writing that down. I also take my vitamins every night right before I go to bed as I drink a glass of water. Without question, I KNOW they will get done because it’s just what I do.

Do not commit to more than 3-5 extra tasks that are outside of your usual daily routine.

This will vary by family and home requirements & responsibilities, but depending on how involved the tasks are, I’d recommend only committing to 3-5 tasks or projects each week. You’ve already time blocked your days and you should have an idea of how your days are typically spent (if you don’t and you need help figuring that out, let me know in the comments below so I can help!).

Only focusing on what you can legitimately handle and complete is important because not only will this allow you to handle things with much less stress (or no stress at all – amen!), but it gives you wins! For many of us, completing a large task or project brings us fulfillment and motivation to keep going, but when we commit to too many tasks and get few (or none) completed, it does the opposite. We become discouraged with ourselves and unmotivated to keep pushing forward. Plan to provide yourself with opportunities to win each week!

Side note: One way to get more done without adding overwhelm, is to practice habit stacking. If you aren’t familiar with habit stacking, I cover that and 50 habit stacking examples that could help really help you move the needle in your productivity!

Final words of encouragement as you create your SAHM Daily Schedule

Ultimately, my prayer for you is that you will learn how to create a simple sahm daily schedule. A sahm routine allowing you to live a fulfilling and low-stress life at home with your children. Life has enough trouble on its own, but there are simple things we can do to lessen life’s stressors. You can create a sahm daily schedule that helps your family thrive. You are more than capable. The process will not be complicated or take a ton of time following this method. Promise. You will be a pro in no time!

If you found this helpful, don’t forget to download the free template that includes my example and checklist!

God bless ♥️