Time Management for Busy Moms | Simplify Your SAHM Daily Schedule

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If you are an overwhelmed, overstimulated SAHM feeling like you never have “enough time” to get everything done, I want to challenge and encourage you that you can have a SAHM daily schedule that works for you. This post offers 25 tried-and-true strategies in time management for busy moms, shifting you from survival to simplicity.

If you’ve been here before, you know that I was a Program Manager before I left the corporate world to become a stay at home mom. My expertise is managing time, budgets, and expectations and reminding everyone of the special purpose that keeps our momentum moving. In hindsight, I see that my nearly decade-long career prepared me with skills that would allow me to develop a simple system for creating a sahm daily schedule that helps create balance over busyness. Pairing this system with these 25 tips will improve time management for busy moms. You can find calm in the chaos. Let’s dive in.

Create a SAHM Daily Schedule Specific to your family’s needs 

This first set tips involves creating creating a SAHM daily schedule to improve time management for busy moms. If you don’t already have a schedule to work from, you can learn how to create a simple sahm daily schedule here. Here are additional tips you should leverage when you’re creating your schedule.

Don’t overthink your schedule.

Creating a sahm daily schedule doesn’t need to take a lot of time. I sit down and plan my upcoming week in just 10-15 minutes every weekend.

Commit to your time blocks.

When you create timeblocks, keep those committed. For example, my early morning routine is primarily focused on my spiritual and mental health, while my morning and afternoon timeblocks are committed to my home and family. The midday “quiet time” blocks are specifically used for blogging while the children nap or rest. (I talk more about how to create the time blocks in my other post.)

Avoid Overcommitment: A Key to Time Management for Busy Moms.

Most moms are frazzled because they overcommit. We agree to accept every invitation and sign up our kiddos for all the extracurriculars and then wonder why our home feels chaotic. The truth of the matter is, you cannot do it all all of the time. You sometimes will have to say no. For each family, bandwidth will vary. You need to be realistic about what you can handle given your existing responsibilities.

Choose one “errand running day.”

When possible, schedule all errands on the same day. When you go to plan your week, know which errands you need to complete and try to complete them all in the same day. Ideally, pick a day where you may already be out for something else. For example, when I’m actively attending bible study on a Wednesday morning, I will schedule any Sam’s Club pickups for after bible study.

Knock out the one thing you really don’t want to do first.

You may have heard of the phrase “Eat the frog.” If you haven’t, it’s essentially the practice of completing the task that you are most likely to procrastinate and getting it over with. This allows you to set a positive tone for the rest of the day or week. I don’t know about you, but if there’s something I don’t want to do, I end up wasting time procrastinating and then regret it later. Whereas if I simply just complete the thing, I feel a sense of achievement and relief. I’d recommend knocking out whatever that “frog” is earlier in the week or if there are many, aim to complete them earlier in the day to keep you motivated.

Find a planner that works for you and your family.

While I always recommend a simple paper planner as a starting point (I really love this planner from Clever Fox), I’ve also heard rave reviews about the Skylight Calendar if you have older children with lots of activities to keep up with. Keeping everything in one place as the source of truth is key, regardless if you are using paper or digital.

Streamline Everyday Tasks for Efficiency

These tips are some of my favorite ways to streamline tasks that I do everyday or at least very regularly. Streamlining in these areas helps me save a ton of time and sometimes money, which is super important to us now that we’re a single income family.

Set things to autopay.  

As much as possible, set things to autopay. Not only does this result in less recurring work, but you oftentimes are given a discount for using autopay. Win-win!

Batch similar tasks.

For example, when you get your groceries, go ahead and wash and prep all of your fruits and veggies for the week before placing them in the refrigerator. Or if you’re cleaning a mirror or windows, go ahead and do a quick run through the house and clean the other mirrors and windows while you already have the cleaning supplies handy.

Side note: Very similar to batching similar tasks is the idea of “habit stacking.” If you aren’t familiar with term “habit stacking”, I cover that and 50 habit stacking examples that could help really help you move the needle in your productivity! You probably already implement habit stacking in some areas without even realizing it.

Subscriptions for things that you buy repeatedly.

This tip I really love because not only do I not have to remember to buy the essentials, but setting up a subscription for recurring items in our home saves us money. For example, we have consistently had at least one or more children in diapers for four years now. I have kept our diaper pail refills on Amazon subscribe and save for years because until our last baby is out of diapers, we’ll have that recurring need. Our Amazon subscribe and save allows us to save 5-15% on products we use regularly. I do the same for my probiotic and other supplements. This has saved us hundreds over the years. However, a word of caution: be sure to only subscribe to things you KNOW for certain you’ll use up regularly as you do not want to add to the clutter and overspend.

Prioritize Mindset Shifts and Mental Wellness to Improve Time Management for Busy Moms

If you are not in the right headspace, you are not able to manage your time effectively. These are some of my favorite ways to prioritize my mind and mental wellbeing as a busy mom.

Put the phone down.

Ultimately, we have to cut the distractions so we can focus on what matters most. I know we are all guilty of this at times and, to be fair, it’s meant to be addictive. Just because you have a hard time putting it down, doesn’t make you a bad mom. However, we need to put safeguards in place to help us step away, such as placing our phone in a drawer or a different room. Do Not Disturb mode is also helpful and setting time limits for apps. Delete or hide apps if necessary.

Know your priorities and values.

Identify YOUR family’s values. This is so important and something I talk about frequently, whether you are trying to create a family budget or create a simple sahm daily schedule. We have to remember that just because Sally Sue on social media says you have to buy ALL organic everything and spend every day all day outside milking your very own dairy cow, does not mean you actually have to fit all those things into your schedule. However, if one of your core values is spending time in nature you may want to consider a fun challenge like 1000 hours outside, but please know you do not have to do it ALL just because it’s all over social media. Keeping your personal values and goals front and center relieves so much stress and pressure and most of us forget this simple practice.

Take breaks.

When you are working a “normal” job, they typically (or should) provide breaks throughout the day. Being a SAHM also requires breaks. Get outside, grab a cup of coffee or your favorite tea, read a few pages of a good book (Some of my favorite motherhood books lately have been from Abbie Halberstadt: M Is for Mama and Hard Is Not the Same Thing as Bad.) Breaks are critical to helping you refresh and recharge, allowing you to better focus your time when you come back to work. Please take breaks.

Wake up before your children.

Listen, I know this one is extremely hard for many. However, just like breaks are critical to a job, so is “getting ready” for work. You aren’t asked to roll out of bed and immediate start your job when you’re not a SAHM, so being a SAHM should not be treated any differently. I started waking up at 4:30am when my husband gets up for work and it has made ALL the difference. I get to enjoy my coffee hot in the morning while I read my bible. I usually get to fit in a little blogging. It starts my day off 1000x better. (Pro Tip: Use a coffee maker that you can set the night before so your coffee is hot and ready when you wake up.)

Read your Bible.

As a Christian mama, it is crucial that we are in the Word daily. Being in the Word allows me to keep my mindset focused on serving like Christ, keeping me focused on the work He has for me. Ultimately, this mindset shift helps me manage my time better because I want to glorify Him.

Carve small pockets of time to do things you enjoy, even if it’s just a few minutes each day.

These things could happen during your breaks, or they could be normal activities that you work into your schedule that help you feel refreshed and balanced between work and play. For example, I love to bake, especially cookies. This is also something that brings joy to my family, so I naturally work it into my schedule. When there’s a new recipe I want to develop, such a peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, I’m not only filling my cup. I’m also loving my family by serving.

Learn to let things go.

This one can be hard, but it is not conducive to time well managed. When we hold on to things and stew over them, it has us distracted. We are not focused on what we’ve set out to accomplish. I’d encourage you to take every thought captive. Refocus your efforts on what you’ve set out accomplish today.

Engage the Children (yes, without screens!)

Even though it is challenging, especially the toddler years, it’s important to find ways to keep them engaged. We cannot always just turn on the TV or hand them a tablet for the sake of “getting things done.” Our children need us. While it’s difficult to manage a balance time between our household tasks and caring for our beloved children, there are ways to make this balance easier!

Prepare activities in advance for your kiddos to do when you need uninterrupted focus time.

There are so many ideas on Pinterest, but even having one or two “special toys” that come out only when you need that uninterrupted time to focus are life savers! My go-to’s are Kinetic Sand Sets and Duplo Sets. You can also make budget-friendly sensory bins.

Include your kiddos in what you’re doing.

Sometimes this can slow you down, which feels the opposite of “time management.” But hear me out. If your kids, especially toddlers, feel like you see and hear them, they’re more likely to let you work on the task at hand. For example, if I am dusting or wiping down windows and the kids want me, I will invite them to help me. I’ll hand them a damp, warm washcloth and ask if they can “wash” the walls for me. They have so much fun doing it and I can keep things moving.

You can also include them during your bible reading time by simply reading aloud to them. The same is true for working out. Invite them to workout with you. It’s so important for them to learn how you care for your body, physically and spiritually! You are setting the perfect example, mama. While it’s great to be able to do these things alone and peacefully, it is also such a gift to do them with your children.

Cleaning & Organization Hacks Create Better Time Management for Busy Moms

Whether you are a SAHM or a working mom, odds are you manage a lot of the cleaning and organization in your home. These are some of my favorite ways to more wisely manage my time when it comes to cleaning and organization. These are practices I utilized even before becoming a sahm.

Start a load of laundry every morning.

Even before I became a stay at home mom, I was starting a load of laundry nearly everyday. Once I returned home from dropping the kiddos off at daycare, I’d start a load of laundry before logging in for the day. On my lunch break, I’d switch everything over to the dryer. We always had clean clothes and I never had to think about making time for laundry!

Declutter, declutter, and declutter some more.

Once I began a MAJOR decluttering spree, I freed up so much mental real estate. It allowed me to manage my time so much better. When we have more things to manage, there’s simply more stress and distractions. We encounter decision fatigue. Decluttering is life changing and it’s a natural thing I work into my weekly routine. (Side note: Anyone else ever binge The Minimal Mom on YouTube? She’s awesome. I resonate with so much of the content that she shares. I highly recommend you check out her channel if you know you need to declutter!)

Find ways to habit stack.

I’m sure you’ve heard of this practice before, but it is essentially the act of stacking a new habit onto an existing habit. For example, when I’m making the kids’ freezer waffles every week (existing habit), I always load/unload the dishwasher, prep any fruits or veggies for the week and/or anything else that is needed while I’m in the kitchen. It’s a great way to habit stack because I’m already in the kitchen doing something I always do. I can’t really leave the kitchen much between batches. Finding opportunities to be productive while I’m glued to one area allows my time to be managed so much better. If you want to learn more about habit stacking, I’d highly recommend James Clear’s Book Atomic Habits. It was so helpful!

Intuitive cleaning over a cleaning schedule.

I love this for so many reasons. I recently watched a Youtube video from The Minimal Mom discussing cleaning and she talked about “intuitive cleaning.” As she explained it, I was like “Yep! That’s literally what I do all the time.” I’ll include it below because she explains this method so well!

Simple Meal Planning Tips for Time Management for Busy Moms

These proven methods of time management for busy moms simplify meal planning and prep like never. Perfect for the sahm or working mom, because I’ve been doing all of this my entire adult life (minus the blessing of grocery delivery)!

Use a simple meal plan rotation.

Keeping a list of healthy meals that you know your family loves and eats well helps so much. You really do not need to reinvent the wheel every week. Even if you don’t want to make a super detailed meal plan, keep a list of simple and healthy meals on your phone. Another option is to save recipes in a “make again” Pinterest board. Our go-to’s for breakfast are make-your-own Kodiak freezer waffles, no bake peanut butter and jelly bars, or peanut butter and dark chocolate oat bars.

Meal prep when things make sense.

Having easy meals or snacks that can be easily grabbed help so much with time management for busy moms. On the mornings that I fail to have something readily available, I either end up spending forever trying to decide what to eat or not eating at all. Neither of these are paths are great. I’m either wasting time thinking or I’m not fully focused due to hunger, squandering time away, becoming moodier by the minute.

Learn to love leftovers.

If you don’t love leftovers, you have to tell me why. Our meals, especially dinner, literally revolve around leftovers. As much as I love to cook, I don’t love spending time cooking every single day. I love to make a large dinner about every other night that we can eat for two nights. I personally feel my time is better spent elsewhere.

Use grocery delivery.

I’ll be honest. I don’t think I will ever give up my Walmart+ subscription. I have been using this service for almost two years now, and it saves me LOADS of time. If you can have your groceries delivered at a reasonable cost, I highly recommend. It saves me at least a couple hours or more every week. It doesn’t seem like a lot of time, but if you were to get ready, drive to the store, shop, check out and load your car, and then drive home, that’s a lot of time every week. For me, that would be at least a couple hours each week. I can get a lot done in two hours at home!

Ending Words of Encouragement

Mama, the fact that you’re here — reading this post — speaks volumes about your love and dedication to your family. Time management for busy moms isn’t about perfection. It’s a process of trial and grace. You can absolutely move from frazzled to focused, from just surviving to feeling accomplished and at peace.

You already have what it takes to meet your family’s needs — you might just need a new rhythm or a small perspective shift. My prayer is that you’ll be able to slow down, focus on what truly matters, and build a schedule that works for you — one that reflects your values (not SAlly Sue’s) and makes room for peace, not pressure.

Let me know in the comments if there are areas you’d like me to dive deeper into, and don’t forget to grab your free SAHM Daily Schedule Toolkit to start creating a rhythm that supports the season you’re in.

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