Finding work-life balance can be challenging. It’s been an adjustment that’s taken me a few years to figure out. I get questions all the time from readers asking how I am doing it all – working from home with three little ones and homeschooling, it’s something that can get really difficult if you don’t have a schedule to follow.
One thing that I have found is that having a routine as soon as you wake up helps tremendously and can set the tone for the rest of the day. Here is a little peek into our mornings.
- Wake up before the kids get up – I try to wake up before my kids get up but that doesn’t always happen. It’s like the moment they hear me up they wake up themselves. But when I can get in an hour, or even just 30 minutes, it gives me the quiet time I need in the morning to check emails or to give me those few quiet moments that I need to myself before the house becomes a loud house. 🙂
- Brush teeth and get dressed – While I’m up before or while the kids are waking up I am up brushing my teeth and getting dressed. I admit, there are days when I want to stay in my pj’s all day long, but I have found that when I get ready it gets me motivated to get things done that day. While I’m in the bathroom I do a quick glance to see what can be quickly picked up. I wipe down the counter tops, pickup the laundry and take it to the laundry room.
- Make the bed – I already know what you’re thinking….why make the bed in the morning because the minute you do the kids will jump on it and mess it up again. But I find that even while that happens most days, the bedroom still looks neater and nicer. I also find that just the act of making the bed can get me motivated for the rest of the day.
- Make Breakfast – For breakfast, we usually do pancakes and/or eggs and I wash our dishes right after we eat. I find that washing our pans and dishes immediately is better than leaving them in the sink for later.
- Do a load of laundry – After breakfast, I do a load of laundry and that usually consists of doing a load for a specific member of our household. I do loads for everyone in our family separately. I find this saves a ton of time when it comes to sorting.
- Coffee time – Having coffee every day is more than just a “coffee-addition” for me. Having a cup of coffee is usually my signal to get a mug, pour some coffee and then take a break and sit down with my kids. Because I have all my kids home with me and we are planning on homeschooling, this is the time where we usually bring out a few books to read and talk about them or learn something new.
Putting everything into a daily routine wasn’t the easiest for me. Especially with little ones, things can be so sporadic most days but in the beginning, a checklist worked wonders for me. I tried to do the exact same routine every single morning and over time my strict checklist wasn’t something I needed to refer to each day. It became a habit and having a solid routine for something that I knew had to be done each day, and then that reward of being able to look forward to that cup of coffee with my kids, helped me with my sanity as a work at home mom.
Download your daily routine printable sheet HERE.
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Coffee time is my favorite
What great ideas. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing! Do you only complete a few 15 minute work tasks once the kids are up? I’d love to hear how you fill this in 🙂