12 Stay-at-Home Mom Tips for Staying Happy and Organized
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Has anyone ever asked you what it is that you do for a living?
And when you tell them you’re a stay-at-home mom, their response is something along the lines of “oh, that must be nice,” as if it’s some sort of vacation?
The truth is, there’s more to it than just hanging out and watching Netflix all day.
Sure, some days you might fit in an episode of your show.
On other days, laundry is up to your eyeballs, you feel like you can’t get a minute to yourself, and you have NO idea what to make for dinner.
If that sounds familiar, these are a few of my favorite stay-at-home mom tips to help you feel more organized and happier right where you are.
1. Start using a planner
Are you tired of trying to remember it all?
Get yourself a planner or print a simple calendar and stick it on your fridge.
It’s impossible to rely on memory alone when you’re juggling appointments, school events, and a million other things.
Your brain already does enough. Let your planner do the remembering for you.
2. Organize your finances
When you’re managing a household, keeping your finances organized can make a big difference.
You don’t need spreadsheets or fancy apps. A basic spending tracker and budget planner works just fine.
A monthly bill calendar is handy too, because it helps you see what’s coming up so you’re not caught off guard by due dates.
And if you’re working toward a goal, like saving for a trip or paying something off, make it fun. A savings challenge or visual tracker can help you stay motivated and see your progress.
3. Embrace routines
Routines are the bread and butter that make everything flow a little smoother. The house stays cleaner, meals don’t feel so last-minute, and mornings aren’t such a rush.
If you don’t have much structure right now and are just tackling things as they come, start with an evening routine. A good evening routine makes mornings so much easier.
Think about what usually drives you crazy first thing in the morning. Is it searching for matching socks? Packing lunches or signing backpack papers? Add those things to your evening routine so they’re already done and out of the way.
Once you’ve got your evenings handled, create a simple morning routine. This might look like unloading the dishwasher, starting a load of laundry, making sure everyone is dressed, and making breakfast.
Small things like that give your morning a rhythm and keep you from feeling behind before the day even starts.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. The goal is to create a flow that helps your home (and your day) run smoother.
4. Kick the clutter
Another tip that always seems to make a big difference? Kick the clutter.
Physical clutter can make you feel weighed down. And the less stuff you have, the easier it is to keep your home clean and organized.
Start small. One drawer, one closet, or one room at a time. (That’s the secret to cleaning a messy house!)
If you don’t love it or haven’t used it in a year, it might be time to donate or sell it.
You’ll feel so much lighter once it’s done.
5. Plan your dinners
Is dinner time too much? Try meal planning.
Meal planning isn’t about fancy meals or complicated prep.
It’s just about knowing what you’ll eat ahead of time so you’re not standing in the kitchen trying to figure it out after everyone’s hunger has already turned into hanger.
I shared my simple approach to meal planning here.
6. Make smarter to-do lists
To-do lists are supposed to make things easier, right? But when they’re too long, they can have the opposite effect.
What helps me is doing a quick brain dump first.
When I have too many things on my mind, I write everything down. No order. No rules. Just get it all out.
Once it’s on paper, I can sort and prioritize what actually needs to get done today and what can wait.
Seeing it all written down makes it easier to focus and build a realistic to-do list instead of one that leaves you even more overwhelmed.
7. Start exercising
No matter what my weight is or how far I can run, I always feel better when I’m moving consistently.
And by exercising, I don’t necessarily mean hitting the gym every day.
It can be as simple as setting a step goal, grabbing the stroller, and walking for 20–30 minutes. I’ve noticed that just a quick walk does wonders for my mood.
Once you find a type of exercise you actually enjoy, that’s the best kind.
If you like seeing your progress, you can use one of my printable workout calendars to keep track.
8. Prioritize sleep
I know it’s not always easy to get enough sleep, especially with little ones. You’re on their schedule, and you can’t exactly nap whenever you want.
And when the house finally gets quiet, it’s hard not to stay up just to enjoy the peace for a little bit. I get it. But I’ve noticed I have more patience, more focus, and everything feels a little easier after a decent night’s sleep.
So even if it means cutting my late-night scroll a little short, I try to make sleep a priority. It doesn’t fix everything, but it makes the next day much easier.
9. Find a hobby
If you’re feeling bored or unfulfilled, there are plenty of things to do when you’re a stay-at-home mom.
(Scraping food off weird places doesn’t count, by the way.)
You need things to think and talk about other than the latest game, Lego blocks, and which baby bottle you like best.
Those things are part of this chapter, but they’re not the whole story. You’re still allowed to have interests, goals, and things that are just for you.
Having a hobby or even a small side hustle gives you something new to be excited about.
So, what sounds fun? What would you like to learn or try?
Maybe it’s something creative, or maybe it’s something completely different. You could even start a blog or a YouTube channel if that sounds like your kind of thing.
10. Wake up before your kids (if the universe allows it)
Some mornings it’s just not happening. If you’re running on empty, the best thing you can do is sleep.
But on the days you can, try to take a few quiet minutes for yourself before everyone’s up.
Even a short window to drink your coffee or get your thoughts together can help you start the day on a better note.
11. Play some music
Good music really does soothe the soul. That’s what they say, right?
You can be in the absolute worst mood and turn on one of your favorite songs, and it instantly helps. Try it next time you’re having one of those days.
Doing the dishes? Folding laundry? Turn on some music, even if you have to keep one earbud out for “mom mode.”
12. Get out of the house
Finally, as simple as it sounds, getting out of the house is one of the most important tips for stay-at-home moms!
When you’re home most of the day, it’s easy to slowly turn into a bit of a hermit. It happens.
It’s good to change your surroundings, even if it’s just taking the kids to the park.
A little sunshine and fresh air go a long way.
So, yes, being a stay-at-home mom is a LOT of work, but having a few things that help you stay organized and on top of things makes it a lot more manageable!
Great tips! A lot have the same theme: preparation to ensure logistically you and your family function smoother. I agree!
Thanks for stopping by, Adriana!
I’m new to the SAHM life. But I found that just like when I was working, “themeing” my days worked best. When I was working, I would make one day, anything and everything to do with a particular project. Anything else could just wait a day. I would just throw myself in to that. The next day was a different theme.
So as a SAHM, I used the same technique:
Mondays- home day – Clean up from the weekend/laundry/deep cleaning chores (cleaning out fridge, scrubbing the tub, striping beds, dusting ceiling fans, etc) . My kiddo would entertain herself with unstructured play in the den or a few episodes of her favorite TV show, while I did this.
Tuesdays- Kid fun day- screw everything else, focus on my kid. I’ll pack a cooler in the morning and we leave for a long adventure: library, playground, go hiking, to the beach, etc. I still try to get home in time for nap, but we have breakfast, snack and lunch on the road. Just some good ole “mommy and me” time.
Wednesday- Food day- Meal planning/grocery shopping/food prep. Where safe and possible, kiddo helps with stirring things, measuring, etc. Mostly, she “supervises” me.
Thursday- paperwork day- pay bills, file/shred, mail stuff, apply for jobs. This doesn’t usually take up most of my day, so then it’s kid time.
Friday- light housekeeping- clutter patrol, wipe downs, vacuuming, etc. Just so the house doesn’t feel like a wreck when hubs gets home and goes “ahhh, Friday at last.” And clean enough to get through the weekend ok.
Saturday- Family fun day
Sunday- Family fun day
I try to make sure that when hubs is home on the weekend, he doesn’t have any home responsibilities. Those two days are meant just to enjoy time together. During the week is when he helps with chores that I couldn’t get to or home improvement projects of his own. I also try to encourage that he takes kiddo for some “daddy and me” adventures, so I get a break and he gets quality time.
This has worked pretty well for us..
Love the theme idea. Sundays are usually our meal planning/prep for the week day. I like to get that out of the way before Monday since my oldest is in school. After that, my motto has been a “do a little every day” kind of thing. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
You gave some great tips! I definitely think being a sahm becomes easier as your child gets older. When my daughter was under a year old, a routine didn’t get established until about 10 months when we started attending a regular baby storytime. But it does get better!
It definitely gets easier as your child gets older. Our oldest is 7 now and he’s a breeze lol. I try to maintain a routine with the baby, but sometimes easier said than done ha. But I’ll take it. They’re only little once! Thanks for stopping by, April!
Kicking the clutter is HUGE!
I found that once I started decluttering I was able to focus on all the other things that I had been wanting to work on.
It’s like the clutter not only gets in the way physically, but mentally as well. Once that is taken care of you are able to “see” what else needs to be done.
I really enjoyed reading your post. The past few days have felt a little overwhelming, but after reading your post, the “brain dump” and simplified to-do list is a perfect tip for me to implement immediately! Thanks for sharing the tips that work for you!
Love this post! Thanks for the inspo!
Love all these tips, Including everyone else’s ideas too! My husband and I just bought our first house. We have 3 girls, 2 dogs and a flock of sheep on 12 acres. I still work part time, but am home now more then ever. Still feel like I have those great days where everything gets done and then those days where I can’t get one task completed to save my life. Thanks for all the great ideas. Can’t wait to start trying some!
I love these tips! I am currently working on decluttering and making better to-do lists. I have recently started my own blog about my life as a stay at home mom. If you have a minute, I would love your opinion on it!
Exercising and getting “me” time have been huge in helping me as a SAHM. And I love meal planning. I don’t know what I did all those years that I wasn’t. These are all really great tips though!!!
Such a great article, thank you for sharing!
I’m new to being a sahm currently I make a goal of doing one thing every day. My newborn can be pretty needy and I need to sleep when he does. Many days I feel completely useless or like I wasted the whole day. To remedy that I make sure I do at least one thing every day. Some days it’s as simple as cleaning out the sink. Usually my one thing turns in to a cleaning spree, then I feel accomplished. If I just set my mind to one small task it seems tangible and not so daunting.
I love all of these! But playing music is my favorite. It really is crazy how a few songs can completely change your mindset!
Fabulous blog post, I just found you in Pinterest and I love your blog!
This are great tips. As a mom of 5 it’s hard to find time for myself, but last year I started to do so. I’m not going to lie, sometimes I feel selfish, but I take my kids out every day. Add a seasoned mother of multiple kids I’ve come up with different ways to stay on tp of cleaning and meal planning. I created a 2 week meal plan with the family. We repeat it for 2 to 3 months and then we change it. With chores I keep my common areas clean by doing a 15 min clean up twice a day. I time myself. I do one room weekly where I clean the window, move furniture etc. I did about an hour on each room. I divided laundry per room. Including sheets. Each family member held with their laundry. Even the toddlers help. It has changed the work load incredibly. I still have time for gym, taking the kids out, cleaning, and the cooking
I’ve been a SAHM for 5 years now, and oh I wish I had seen this back in the early days.
I have a lot to learn, though, I’m soon moving to a new house, and I’m looking forward to meal planning! I’ve been a little bit scared of meal planning so far, but I’m really going to need it in the new house, because I’ll be driving a lot to take my kid for activities and school and such.
Thank you so much for this!
Awesome tips! I love the part about exercising. It can truly be a drag to get yourself to exercise but once I started doing it i felt so much better!