Stay at Home Moms Daily Schedule

What a change for you! No wonder you are overwhelmed!

Our schedule is about the same, but I wanted to add a few things:

1.) Local libraries are an incredible resource. Check the schedules for any activities that they have going on.

2.) Check your local parks and rec department. Many offer free events for families and most activities are reasonably priced.

3.) See if your school offers anything during the summer. Our school opens the library on Wednesdays. It's actually very social!

4.) Check these websites for in-house, rainy day activities:
familyfun.com
makingfriends.com
scholastic.com

for educational websites look at:
superteacherworksheets.com
coolmath4kids.com
factmonster.com
enchantedlearning.com
spellingcity.com

5.) Discover the art of clipping coupons. It really gets addictive and you'd be surprised at how much money you save. My husband laughs and comments about how this has become more of a personal challenge/competition with each trip to the store! We use the savings to take special outings.

6.) Finally, don't forget to take time for YOU. Make sure that you are getting out with either friends or hubby only. No kids. The post that said find that book you've been wanting to read and coffee with girlfriends was right. It's so important that you have some time to YOURSELF.

Good luck and enjoy this time with your kids!

Breakfast
Morning outing. Walk at the mall if the weather is bad, or go to the park. Snack.
Late morning sesame street.
Lunch
Trip to the library, grocery store, to visit.
snack
Play at home while Mommy does work around the house
Start cooking dinner.

It is an adjustment when you first stay home but you will be surprised how quickly you find a routine that works well for you. After working for so long you are used to being praised at work. The hardest thing for me being home was all my hard work going un-noticed. Finally I asked my husband to please comment. If I cooked he thanked me. If the house looked nice he commented, etc.... It really helped.

p.s. don't forget to read that book you always wanted to and to meet your friends for a cup of coffee!

I am home during the summer and my husband is home during the school year with our son. We try to keep his schedule pretty much the same:

make and eat breakfast together at the table
free play and our tv time for the day/grocery shopping if needed
make and eat lunch together at table
nap
snack
daily outing or play outside
make and eat dinner together at table
bath time
family time (movie, game, coloring, books)
bed

We sometimes go walk the mall, go to the bookstore/library, park and go visit family and friends. Nice for the change of scenery! Sometimes for a treat we will go to the dollar store!!!

We started doing the family style breakfast, lunch and dinner (everyone at the table) and have really enjoyed it! No more eating on the run or while watching tv....it is nice!!! Plus our son has started talking more too!

Enjoy the time home with your children!!! it goes by sooo quick! I get overwhelmed some times too. I make sure to take the time to soak in a tub, take a nap or read a book during naps and after they go to bed. I know a lot of people use this time to clean; however, I include him when I clean and my husband and I came up with a chore chart that we complete during the week...it has worked out beautifully!!! Schedule for the kids and schedule for me!!!

www.titus2.com has a great scheduling book. It is called Managers of their Homes.

I, also, have a 6 year old and another child that just turned 3. We have a loose schedule everyday. My kids get up around 7:30 and they have TV time for about an hour or so. Then we have breakfast and dress and make beds. Then they play while I clean my house or do laundry or we go somewhere. Some days it's an errand like the grocery store and some days it is for them. There are lots of free things to do-park, library, play area at the mall, play date with a friend, free summer movies. We have lunch around noon and then, because my youngest still needs a nap, they watch a movie. My youngest falls asleep and my oldest gets an hour or so of rest. We usually, play games, read books, do play dough, color or some other activity in the afternoons. Sometimes we do have errands to run or my oldest may be in a class-art right now. Then they play while I make dinner which is usually around 6 or 6:30 in the summer months. Our days don't always follow this exact schedule, but something like it most days. I don't "teach" my kids, but we do play games that are educational and read everyday and just talk and ask questions about things around us when we're out. There are some excellent TV programs that are educational, too. And some great DVDs like the Leap Frog series. My oldest still remembers little rhymes he learned while watching them and you can check them out out the library. Enjoy your time with your kids!!

The web sites mentioned below are great resources.

Our schedule is not significantly different, I do try to do art projects based on things my daughter has seen and done (ie we went to a farm, so we made a farm on paper, crayons, paint stickers etc.)

Also, on demand TV (FIOS and Cable have it by me) is a big help - I can pick when she watches her favorite shows rather than be tied down to when the channel broadcasts it.

Good luck!

I find it helpful to actually right out (or type out) my schedule. I use hour or 1/2 hour increments and start with the things that happen at the same time every day. For example
7 -7:30 am wake and get dressed
8:am make and eat breakfast
then I might leave some blanks and skip to
12:30 pm lunch
1-3 pm kids nap (mom personal time :-)
once I have the given plugged in (like waking, breakfast, lunch, nap, dinner, bedtime) I go back and figure out with the rest of our time what I would like to have happen. Personally I don't mind my kids watching a bit of cartoons in the morning but I don't like time to get away from me and have them watching it all the way to lunch! So I "schedule" table time activities like play-doh, coloring, painting, as well as outside activites even if its just a walk around the block.
I would be happy to share a actual copy of my schedule by email. Mine is a little complex because I have 5 kids ages 1,1, 4, 13 and 16 so I also have their individual activites worked into our schedule.
Sorry to be so long winded, but this is something that I have found to be SO helpful in maintaining order and routine at our house, BUT it is important to be flexible as well :-)

Believe me, they will get an education and all they need with you just being at home and having fun as a MOM. Let the public or private school teach the academics. OR look into Homeschooling, which has its rewards also.
Now, as far as being a SAHM, just let daily, normal stuff be the teacher. There are many small chores a 2 and 6 year old can do-it teaches responsibility, family work ethics and can be fun. A 2 year old can empty trash baskets into a large bag with help, take clothes out of a dryer, set the table help clear the table, fold some towels or wash cloths, carry their hung up clothes to help you put them in the closet, etc. They love to sit on the counter and measure to help cook, take dishes out of the dishwasher, etc. Now this is with guidance and help and make it fun and pleasant and they love it.
Our 2 1/2 year old, dusts low things, helps crack eggs, cuts dumplings, measures for cake or cookies, sets the table, one thing at a time and even counts while she does it and names the family. It is so cute. She makes her own bed, can pick up her toys and put them away, and on and on.
The 6 year old can do all of the above only more efficiently. He can take the garbage out and recycle bins twice a week and put fresh liners in the trash and he geta a dollar a week. They have their own banks and after giving to the church and saving 20% they can spend the rest or save it for anything they want, such as legos, puzzles, toys or candy on occasion.
This is long but let your daily life be the teacher. Look for opportunities to teach kindness, good manners, being helpful and honest and sharing, etc. The rest will happen naturally and you will be blessed to have them with you teaching them your morals and values and about life and God. Have a blast and good luck!!!!!!!!!!

I am a stay at home mom of 3 ages 5, 3, and 18 months. I am also homeschooling but here is our schedule it didn't come through like a table but that is how it is broken out for me, my 5yo, 3 yo and 16 month in that order of listing:

Swaim Family Schedule

Time
Mommy
Brenneth (5)
Aeris (3)
Sorsha (17 mo)
6:00 AM
Wake, Shower, Dress

6:30 AM
Quiet time

7:00 AM
Make breakfast
Wake, Dress, eat breakfast
Wake, Dress, eat breakfast

7:30 AM
Laundry, cleaning
Room time, no TV
Room time, no TV

8:00 AM
Supervise clean up
Clean up
Clean up

8:15 AM
Kids Prayer and devotional
Prayer and devotional
Prayer and devotional

9:00 AM
Get Sorsha up, breakfast, dressed
Outside Time
Outside Time
Get up, breakfast, dressed
9:30 AM
Outside Time
Outside Time
Outside Time
Outside Time
10:00 AM
Prepare morning snack
Clean Up / Snack
Clean Up / Snack
Clean Up / Snack
10:30 AM
Train Blanket time
Book time
Blanket time
Blanket time
11:00 AM
Laundry, cleaning
Room time, no TV
Room time, no TV
Room time, no TV
11:30 AM
Prepare lunch
Room time, no TV
Room time, no TV
Room time, no TV
12:00 PM
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
1:00 PM
Rest
Book Time / Rest time
Nap
Nap
2:30 PM
Teach School
School
School
Nap
3:30 PM
Prepare Snack
Snack
Snack
Snack
4:00 PM
Prepare Dinner
Outside Time
Outside Time
Room time, no TV
5:00 PM
Clean Up for Daddy
Clean Up for Daddy
Clean Up for Daddy
Crib Time
5:30 PM
DADDY
DADDY TIME
DADDY TIME
DADDY TIME
6:00 PM
Dinner
Dinner
Dinner
Dinner
7:00 PM
Clean Dinner
Bedtime routine
Bedtime routine
Bedtime routine
7:30 PM
Bedtime routine
Bed time
Bed time
Bed time

10:00 – 1:00 Wed only
Library Story Time Lunch with Daddy
Library Story Time Lunch with Daddy
Library Story Time Lunch with Daddy
Library Story Time Lunch with Daddy

Here's a reallly good article that may help you.
http://www.burbmom.net/structuring-the-stay-at-home-moms-...

Well first--be sure to be aware that you will go through ups and downs- SAHM time is soo different from working- and there are positives to both- and like anything- when SAHM things are not going well- you are going to long for the simpler days of going to work and office politics!!! Now onto the good stuff-- if you are a morning person- capitalize on that and be sure to be up before them and get your day ready to go- get dressed everyday(sounds silly now- but you will see how easy it is to fall into a sweatpants rut!) Do the things that come natural- parks and playgrounds- making friends (in your new world of SAHMs) and we are all on budgets- so hook up with moms and find out there are lots of things to do on the less expensive side of fun--- and an hour of STORYTIME at the library to a young child- along with the craft- is sometimes the BEST PART of the day!!! Kids don't demand the hype (parents do) ....you will figure it out- trial and error....if like me you are a night owl I must admit- things are a little tougher as I don't always get up before the kids (bad move) and my 'me time' does not come until late late at night- after the whole house is asleep....but the beauty of being a SAHM is it is 'my' schedule soooo I can FLEX time anyday of the week---and if I declare PAJAMA/MOVIE day on a random WED just so I can get a nap-- it is all good!!! Enjoy!

I just wanted to tell you there is alot of free or cheap stuff in the summer. Local libraries do a lot, AMC movies do a $1 movie once a week (older kid movies), Loews theater is dong FREE kid movies at 10a every Tuesday and Wednesday this summer, and for example Willow Bend mall has some free kid activities this summer.

For starters, there are tons of things you can do FOR FREE. head to meetup.com and join a playgroup. Call the library and find out when they will be starting their next Story time session.

We always start our day with them having free play while I make breakfast. We do Music Together, so we usually put on the CD. After breakfast, we dress/clean-up and do our calendar. Then it's usually more free play while mommy tries to organize things, before heading out around 9:30 for some activity. Lunch at 12, quiet time/naps till 2:30, and then play outside. If it's too hot, we play in the playroom or go to the library.

We do a few art projects a week, and maybe an hour total of learning activities.