Responsibilities of a stay at home mom: How do some sahms get it all done?

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Can SAHMs actually get it all done?

We all know that being a stay-at-home mom is a full-time job. The responsibilities of a stay at home mom seem never-ending. We are the errand runners. The meal planners. The grocery shoppers. The cooks. The maids. The medics. The schedule creators and keepers. The teachers. The accountants. The nurturers. Even with a loving and supportive partner, many sahms feel they can’t “get it all done.” If that’s you, you’re not alone. 

Here’s the truth: getting everything done doesn’t mean doing all the things. It means doing the right things at the right time.

As a former Program Manager turned stay-at-home mom, I’ve learned how to apply proven time management and planning strategies to mom life. Below I’m diving into step that help you move from feeling scattered and overwhelmed to calm, confident, and in control.

Tip 1: Confidently Know Your Priorities

Before you even attempt to create a to-do list or build a schedule, getting everything done as a SAHM requires you to be confident in your priorities in this current season. To you, the responsibilities of a stay at home mom may include getting the house decluttered, focusing on nutrition by means of home-cooked meals, or being mindful of giving each child more quality 1:1 time. Once you’re clear on your priorities, it becomes easier to say “yes” to the things that actually matter and confidently say “no” to the unimportant..

I recommend that you take 15-20 minutes and thoughtfully write down your top five priorities in the areas of home, relationships, work, children, and self. These will serve as your decision-making filter.

Bonus Tip: Your priorities need to truly align with YOUR family’s needs and values. You simply cannot add to your plate what every Sally and Sue recommends on social media as a “must do.” I truly believe that is why so many mamas are overwhelmed. We find ourselves consuming this curated feed of the perfect life and that simply does not exist. You are one mama taking in what hundreds of other mamas are doing. Mama, you are you. You cannot do EVERYTHING that Amy, Brittany, Chloe, Darlene, Ellie, and Faith are doing.

The truth is that the responsibilities of a stay at home mom are defined specifically by each specific mama for herself based on HER family’s needs.

Tip 2: Brain Dump and Categorize Your Responsibilities as a SAHM

The mom brain is carrying a lot. Set a timer for 10 minutes and do a complete brain dump—everything from “schedule pediatrician appointment” to “mop the floors.”

Use these categories to help drive your thoughts:

• Home: cleaning, errands, laundry, finances
• Relationships: marriage, family, friendships
• Work: any special projects, side hustles, etc. that you might be working on outside of your normal responsibilities of the home and children
• Children: homeschool, appointments, activities
• Self: spiritual growth and bible reading, health, hobbies
  

For most, the responsibilities of a stay at home mom will fall into those five categories.  Seeing your responsibilities organized this way will help you build a more realistic rhythm.

Tip 3: Build a Simple Weekly Framework with Time Blocks

We are not creating a “schedule”, but rather a weekly rhythm using timeblocks. This strategy provides your week with structure, balance, and flexibility. 

Even before I was a sahm, I used time blocking as a program manager. Whenever possible, I would always begin and end my day with determining my “must dos” and important communication. The late morning and late afternoons were for important meetings, and I tried to reserve the middle of my day for uninterrupted working time. I would also reserve Friday afternoons for large working blocks.

Now as a SAHM, I’ve developed a similar rhythm. I will share mine below, but please only use this as a reference! You should feel empowered to create a rhythm that works for you. I only share this for informational purposes, because I know seeing a real-life example can be extremely helpful for inspiration.

Early Morning Timeblock

• Time: 4:30-7:00 am, approximately
• Intention: Spiritual & Personal Time
• This time block is reserved for prayer and reading my bible while I drink my morning coffee. After I finish my reading and prayers, I will do a little work on my blog, time permitting. My relationship with the Lord must come first! Having this time before the kids wake up has made me a better mom most days!

Morning Timeblock

• Time: 7:00 am-12:30 pm, approximately 
• Intention: Home & Children
• I am no longer focused on myself once all the kids are up. I use this time to feed them breakfast and work on home related tasks. Sometimes we may read some stories or go outside.Regardless, I stay in motion throughout this time block, trying to keep my phone time to a minimum. I sometimes will fit my workout into this block, but the kids are welcome to join me if they want! I try to keep it short, 20-30 mins. We end this timeblock with lunch.

Quiet Timeblock

• Time: 12:30 pm -2:30 pm, approximately
• Intention: Quiet time / Nap time for the littles. Working block for the blog. 
• This allows me some quiet time to take a break by working on my blog. “Taking a break by working” may sound counterintuitive, but I truly do find this work to be restful.

Afternoon Timeblock

• Time: 2:30 pm – 8:00 pm, approximately
• Intention: Home & Children
• The laptop is shut and the focus pivots back to the home and children. We may have a snack (we really enjoy these no bake peanut butter & jelly bars, read some stories or go outside before it’s time to cook dinner. Once Dad gets home, we have dinner as a family, clean up the kitchen and tidy up for the evening before starting the kids’ bedtime routines. We finish this timeblock with the kids going down for bed.

Night Timeblock

• Time: 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm approximately
• Intention: Quality time and winding down for bed
• Once the kids are down, my husband and I will both get ready for bed and tidy up any loose ends before laying down, like prepping the coffee machine for the next morning, etc. Before going to sleep, we’ll spend time talking or watching a show we both enjoy or reading side by side. We aim to be asleep between 9-9:30 pm since we wake up so early.

The key here is to utilize LOOSE time blocks that have specific, yet high-level intentions assigned to them. This allows for flexibility, while still being able to get everything done. You can learn more about how I create my daily sahm schedule in this post.

Tip 4: Use Habit Stacking and Batching to manage the responsibilities of a stay at home mom.

Your day will flow more efficiently if you combine small tasks with routines you already have in place. How I do this:

• When I hear the kids wake up, I will put the waffles in the toaster so that they can be warming while I am changing diapers and helping kiddos get dressed for the day.
• Every week while I am cooking a large batch of freezer waffles, I will find things to do in the kitchen while I’m waiting between batches, such as loading/unloading the dishwasher, decluttering a drawer or cabinet, or cleaning out the fridge.
• As I close down the kitchen every night before bed, I take my vitamins and supplements, such as my prenatal and probiotic, that I have sitting in the basket next to the sink.

When you can, batch similar tasks together. Another recommendation I have for you is to run all errands on a single day to save time and mental energy. If you need inspiration for habit stacking, I have 50 habit stacking examples in this post to get your wheels turning!

Tip 5: Schedule a Weekly Planning Session

Every weekend, I recommend you take 10-20 minutes to plan your week. Review your appointments, know what meals your family will be eating, and assign any weekly tasks that aren’t a natural part of your existing rhythm to the days where it works best.

I love to sit down on a quiet Saturday or Sunday afternoon with a fun drink and plan out my week in my planner. 

Side note: If you don’t have a planner yet, you can download my free SAHM Daily Schedule Toolkit and use the free planner pages there until you decide you want to purchase one!

Tip 6: Protect Your Sanity and Say No

Mama, you are not required to volunteer for every event, attend every playdate, or host every gathering. Saying no is a form of self-care. Filter opportunities and requests through your priorities. Ask: “Does this align with what matters most for my family right now?”

Therefore, build in time for rest—whether that’s a midday coffee, reading time, or a quiet walk or step outside for fresh air and sunshine.

Tip 7: Let Go of Perfection (Progress > Pinterest)

It doesn’t have to look perfect to be effective. A good-enough system that works for you is better than a perfect system you will never use. Let go of comparison and focus on progress and peace. The responsibilities of a stay at home mom are only overwhelming if you allow them to be!

Just because Mary May folds and puts her laundry away the second it is done, doesn’t mean you have to. Just because I get up at 4:30 am certainly doesn’t imply that you should. Choose what is going to work best for you and your family in this season, rhythms that move you forward without frantic.

Bonus Tips to Make Life Simpler:

• Set up Amazon Prime subscriptions for household essentials – this saves me a lot of mental energy, plus I love the discounts that come along with it!
• Use grocery delivery – I personally love Walmart+.
• Use a paper planner.
• Prep activities for your kids, so you can have focused work time. (I love things like Duplo or Kinetic Sand Kits!

From Survival to Simplicity

Mama, you can create a rhythm that works. You don’t have to mimic someone else’s either. Getting “everything” done doesn’t need to lead to unmanageable overwhelm. If you’re getting everything done, it means you’ve built your day around what matters, using smart systems driven by your priorities.

Start small. Choose one tip from this list to implement today. Also, if you need more support, grab your free SAHM Daily Schedule Toolkit to help you create a routine that brings peace to your home.

You’ve got this. Let me know in the comments what part of this post encouraged you most or which area you’d like to dive deeper into!

Pin these tips for later

Be sure to pin these tips for later. This post serves as a great reminder that the responsibilities of a stay at home mom are defined by you, mama!