My Current Stay At Home Mom Schedule with a Toddler and a Preschooler
If you’ve been following along, you know that it’s taken me a while to adjust to life with two kids instead of one. My oldest daughter was an overall easy baby. My second daughter is the one that’s more of a typical baby – nothing horrible or out of the ordinary, but she is definitely different and because of that, I feel like I have to learn how to parent all over again.
I’m learning that what worked for my oldest daughter might not work for my second one.
Before my oldest started preschool, I found myself wondering how I would balance everything. The time I was going to be dropping her off is the time that the baby usually takes a nap. Of course, my anxiety never helps and I was overthinking everything.
However, my daughter has been going to school for about six months now and we’ve settled into another routine much easier than I thought.
Since a lot of you were interested in my post about what my day as a stay at home mom with a baby and a toddler looked like, I thought I would share with you how our day looks now. It’s different and busier but sticking to an overall schedule or routine makes a huge difference for myself and the girls.
MORNING
5:00am – Wake up! Now, I see endless blog posts about how much other mom’s swear by waking up before their kids. I, on the other hand, have always been a sleeper. I function better the more sleep I get, so I wake up when our toddler wakes up (which is usually between 4:30 and 5:00).
She typically starts playing with toys right away, while I make some coffee. I take this time to sit and play with her before my oldest wakes up.
6:00-6:45am – My oldest gets up and gets dressed. Then, she usually plays with her sister while I get ready for the day. I also use this time to make sure everything is ready for my daughter to take to school (lunch, jacket, schoolwork, etc.) and hang out with my husband for just a bit before he heads to work.
6:45-7:00am – Time to cook! I make a huge effort to cook my girls a healthy breakfast every morning, so I’m still making eggs every day, just like before. 😊
7:00-7:30am – Breakfast is served. Once everyone is done, I make sure I do the dishes right away. I feel much better having them done before I leave the house to take my daughter to school. I also prepare my little one’s bottle right before we leave, that way it’s ready as soon as I get home which is when she’s always ready to take a nap.
7:40-8:30am – We drive to preschool, where I drop off my oldest daughter and then me and my toddler come home.
This is when we do her morning nap routine, which has been consistently around 8:30am. I sit with her while she drinks a bottle, then I hold her for just a second and lay her down in her crib. She has surprisingly always slept well on her own. In fact, every time I have tried to lay her down with us, she points to her bed and seems to prefer it.
8:30-10:00am – Toddler naps for usually an hour and a half (give or take). This is my time to get stuff done! I use this time mostly for work, cleaning or even sometimes rest. If it’s been a hectic morning, I try to take some time during her nap to turn everything off, sit and just close my eyes. Taking a break really helps recharge me for the rest of the day. Most of her morning nap though, is when I try to focus on my blog and any work related stuff.
10:00-11:00am – Once my toddler is awake, I spend most of this time playing with her or we go for a walk. No matter what we do, I make sure to dedicate this time 100% to her.
In the first year of having two kids, I found it hard to balance my time between both. I always felt like maybe I was giving one of them more attention than the other. Soon, though, I started to schedule out my day and specifically scheduled individual time with both girls each day.
Once I started doing this, I noticed that my bond with them felt stronger and I know it’s helping strengthen our relationships.
11:00am-11:40am – Snack for my toddler and then we get ready to go pick up my oldest from preschool.
11:40-12:30pm – Pick up oldest daughter from preschool and come home.
12:30-1:00pm – Lunch time. Most days, we eat outside and then they play for a while.
1:00-1:30pm – Outdoor play! The girls can play for a while out there with our water table, bubbles, bikes and some balls. It doesn’t take much for them to have a good time.
Not only do they have a lot of fun outside, but it’s also something that I look forward to. It feels good to get some sun and relax or play with my girls.
1:30-3:00pm – MANDATORY QUIET TIME! I put this in all caps to stress the importance of quiet time. My toddler will usually take her afternoon nap at this time. My oldest is reaching an age where she doesn’t need a nap as often. However, she is required to spend this time quietly in her room, either reading, watching a movie or just laying down.
This time is crucial for me. I used to feel guilty about taking a break but soon realized, I was a better mom for it. When you are with your kids 24/7, you must take breaks. I think it’s beneficial for everyone involved. I use this time to get stuff done on my to-do list, work, clean or some days, I actually do nothing! Every once in a while, I will lay on the couch, close my eyes and just try and give my brain a break.
3:00-3:30pm – Wake up and snack time.
3:30-4:30pm – Bath time! Their bathroom is in their room upstairs so we usually go upstairs, they play with their toys for a while and then they get ready for the bath. I help bathe them, get them dressed, then brush their hair.
4:30-5:30pm – I usually start preparing stuff for dinner. Both girls have reached an age where they play well together, and they seem to play even better when I’m not in the room. This works out because I am in the kitchen a lot of this time to make dinner.
5:30-6:30pm – Dinner time for the girls. I sit with them and help my little one eat. My husband isn’t usually home until around 6:30/7:00 and I wait to eat dinner with him. I still hope to get us all eating dinner together soon.
6:30-7:30pm – After everyone eats, the girls play with Daddy for a while. I use this time to clean up the kitchen from dinner. I also prepare my daughter’s lunch for school the next day. Then, I take a shower before we put the girls to bed.
7:30-8:00pm – Bedtime! Our bedtime routine has been the same for a few months now. The girls share a room, so my husband and I take them both to their room together. We then read them a story, give them lots of hugs, sing a song and then tuck them in.
We’ve always tried to stick to an earlier bedtime because it gives me and my husband some time alone before bed. I really look forward to this time with him. On a good night, we usually watch a movie together or a favorite show and then we’re off to bed. Other nights, we use this time for work we may have to do or to finish up anything that didn’t get done during the day.
Having somewhat of a schedule to stick to throughout the day makes a huge difference for me, my anxiety and for my girls. It didn’t happen overnight though! It took some time for me to figure out what times my baby needed her naps, when was the best time for meals, etc.
Are you a working mom, work-at-home mom or stay-at-home mom? What does your day look like? I’d love to hear from you!
I loved this post. It’s quite similar to our schedule ( my girls are 1 and 3 ) but I can never seem to figure out how to fill the post afternoon nap slot in our day. What sorts of activities do you do with your girls?
Thank you so much! I usually do their baths during that time, after they wake up. I know a lot of people like to do them right before bed, but right now it’s working well to do them after their nap. They are usually in good moods and they play in the bath for quite a while together. Then, I usually set up some toys for them to play with or put a movie on while I get started on dinner. Thankfully, they have been playing really well together so they usually come up with something to do. My oldest has been trying to teach the little one to play hide-and-seek. 🙂 I wish you all the best!