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The Ultimate Work-From-Home-Mom Schedule (Details Inside)

This post: Tips for creating a work-from-home-mom-schedule, from a working, homeschooling SAHM of five.

I first heard of this concept of “home rhythms” when I stumbled upon Sally Clarkson’s blog years ago, when my oldest kids were babies.

I was fascinated by the idea of creating a home atmosphere that was intentional, orderly, and peaceful.

Unfortunately, I was a tad legalistic about my “rhythms” in the early days… and I’m going to tell you about it so maybe you can avoid some of the mistakes I made!

Want to get your hands on a done-for-you schedule template?
Get it now.

So What is Rhythm?

I usually think of music when I hear the word “rhythm.” Maybe you do too?

Let me challenge you to envision the context of your home life as you read the following definitions: 

Rhythm:

  • a strong, regular, repeated pattern
  • a particular type of pattern
  • procedure with uniform or patterned recurrence

Did you catch those key words? 

Repeated. 

Pattern. 

—–> My personal definition of home rhythms would be this:

Rhythms in the home are simply intentional patterns of life. 

Living well on purpose, day after day and year after year.

What Home Rhythm are Not.

Think of a pattern of music that you enjoy, or a favorite melody.

Musical rhythms are fluid and engaging, sometimes unpredictable, emotionally-charged or even surprising.

There are patterns to rhythms, but I believe the best rhythms-

in music and in the home

are full of both contrast and harmony.

Rigidity will choke the life out of rhythms, especially the ones in your home.

Routines Versus Rhythms

Let me share a story from my earliest days of being a wife and mom.

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I was in my early twenties when I first discovered these life-changing concepts of developing patterns in your day, and I knew I wanted that sense of order for our two young daughters.

I developed

  • morning and afternoon routines,
  • a bedtime routine,
  • menu plans
  • and even planned times to read books, sing songs, and play with my preschooler and baby girl.

I’m a tad OCD when it comes to planning and scheduling, so I took this “routine” thing to a pretty serious level.

I created a spreadsheet for our weekly schedule as a family and posted it on the fridge.

It included menu plans for every meal and snack, as well as hourly slots of activities for every day of the week.

I felt ecstatic and empowered by my new routine!

At least, I felt that way for a few days.

Several weeks into my amazing new routine, I found myself complaining to Jeremy about how stressed and frustrated I felt about life.

He listened quietly for several minutes while I vented, then calmly pointed to my schedule on the refrigerator door.

“There’s your problem, Kristy,” he said simply.

Rhythms in the Home | The Ultimate Stay-at-Home-Mom Schedule

Well, I got really frustrated at my husband!

“You’re just not a planner like I am,” I shot back defensively.  “I’m just trying to be productive and get stuff done around here.”

I’ll spare you the remaining details of the conversation, but I ended up taking my husband’s advice.

I eventually tore my wonderfully planned routine off the fridge door and scrapped it.

It took me quite a few years of tweaking and learning before I finally embraced the truth:

—–> There will never be a perfect schedule or routine for any home. 

I know that’s true for me, living in a houseful of growing kids and juggling a busy homeschooling and ministry lifestyle.

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I also know it’s true for single women, career moms, retired women and everyone else.

There is no perfection. 

But there can be intentional rhythms. 

The Key to Rhythms

Remember our definition?

Rhythms in the home are simply intentional patterns of life. 

The key to rhythms in the home is being intentional about how you live.

A woman who is constantly reacting to life is going to feel frustrated and out-of-control most of the time.

A woman who seeks to control every detail of her life (as I did) will feel equally frustrated and out-of-control.

—–> Living intentionally involves both flexibility and planning. 

It entails embracing the truth that life is fluid and changing, and very often unpredictable. 

Even the best-laid plans sometimes don’t work out.

In those moments, rhythms allow us to fall back on the safety of “doing the next thing” and re-centering so we can continue to move forward.

Done-for-You Template

I created a done-for-you daily schedule template, and a brainstorming worksheet to help you prioritize morning, afternoon, and evening rhythms.

This simple method is what has worked for me as a homeschooling, work-at-home-mom for nearly two decades now.

Two ways to access these templates:

FREE download

Get this download & more when you enroll in The SAHM’s Guide to Working From Home e-course (details here)

Tell Me

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this concept of home rhythms. Drop a comment below & tell me ONE rhythm you’d like to start in your life right now as a mom.

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2 Comments

  1. Thank you for the video. You did awesome!!!
    I am a type A personality and I can really relate to you. God has been helping me use your suggestion of creating the priority grid in this overwhelming season. The priority grid has given me the freedom to say no to other meaningful areas and really stick to my priorities so that I don’t create or allow chaos to take over and overwhelm everyone in our home. It’s not always easy to stick to my list…especially when others may not understand, but God shaped my list for this season and I have to be intentional in sticking to it so the rhythm of our home is peaceful and joyful.
    Thank you Kristy for sharing your wisdom and heart with us❤️

    1. What a great perspective- “God shaped my list for this season.” There’s so much peace when we embrace the seasons, instead of fight them. But it isn’t always easy to do!

      Thank you for reading and commenting, Tammy.