(Inside: A working mom weekly planner for busy moms. A planner to help your entire family stay organized and get places on time. )
I write all of my three kids’ activities on my monthly calendar and then highlight (using three different colors) each kid’s schedule.
And in one week, I still missed
…an ortho appointment.
…and one soccer practice.
Gone. I did not remember either at all.
No wonder the last time I was at the orthodontist and I was sitting in the waiting room right in front of the receptionist, she called me on my cell to ask where I was. “Hi!” (Me waving at her.) “Yes, I’m right here in front of you.” (Sweet lady – she’s not used to me being in the actual waiting room on time…)
What’s a girl to do when she can’t keep it all straight?
The old-fashioned monthly calendar wasn’t working for our family.
I needed help.
Thank goodness for mom friends and all their good ideas. One of my good friends gave me a tip I’m loving. First, I switched to using a google calendar that synchs with everyone in my family’s phones. But, people don’t always daily look at their phone calendar, so that wasn’t the game-changer.
Here’s where what turned on the lights in our home…
My friend told me every Sunday her family sits down and writes out the weekly schedule. She even shared her spreadsheet with me.
So, I copied her – and guess what…we’ve had a nice little stretch of making it to all the things…ready for this…on time!
Weekly working mom calendar so you can see a visual of the whole week and get everyone where they need to be:
I appreciated her calendar, but I needed a little more room in the after-school squares and I wanted to make it a little prettier, so I made my own. Then, because sometimes I can be a “try-hard” (according to my kids), I made a couple more varieties of weekly calendars to best meet what we’re doing that week.
I know moms in our community, are busy, busy, busy, and I like having time savers and parenting hacks on this site, I’m sharing my glorious weekly calendar with you.
The life skills we’re teaching when we talk through this working mom planner with our families:
Moms, when we simply do life with our families, we’re giving our kids important tools they’ll use forever. But I know we don’t think of it that way. We think we’re just doing what needs to be done – so Iwant to point out all the amazing life lessons you’re teaching. (And how awesome you are, momma!)
When we sit down on Sunday evenings and talk through the family schedule, we’re teaching our kids:
Communication skills
Organizational skills
How to lead their own lives
Ownership in the family
How to work well with others (Team-player skills)
Be intentional with their time
Keep trying until you figure out what works. (Each season calls for different kinds of organization methods. We keep figuring out what works for the “right now.”)
And so much moe
Mommas, you’re doing a great job. Keep moving forward knowing your family needs you times a million and then some more.
Let’s stay in touch! Join this community of moms of older kids.
You just dropped one kid off at practice, picked up another, and are trying to decide what to make for dinner. Your days are filled with work, parenting, and waiting for password reset emails.
You are parenting tweens and teens.
It’s a fantastic life phase, but also challenging in unique ways. In it all, you’d love a little encouragement to help you laugh, grow in faith, see parenting hacks, get ideas to connect with your kid, and celebrate the awesome momma you are.
I got you, friend. Sign up for Empowered Moms and Kids monthly emails and get encouragement in your inbox geared for someone exactly in your life chapter. It’s totally free and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Plus, you’ll get instant access to all the great resources in the freebie library.Join our community below.
Read the full let go of the working mom guilt and thrive in working mom life series…
I went to college to get my high school teaching degree. I planned to work for a few years, then stay home with babies. My mind was made up.
Except, I didn’t factor in one thing…
I loved my career.
Furthermore, at my workplace, there were so many working moms that daily showed me how to be great at both your job and motherhood. So, after taking six years off to be home with my kids and fulfill that dream, I chose to go back to work.
I love being a working mom and I want to imperfectly thrive in it – I know you to thrive too. Be encouraged through this series on being a working mom.
Cheryl is a mom of 3 boys, wife, speaker, high school teacher, and author of Empowered Moms & Kids. She has a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and is passionate about learning and teaching. On www.empoweredmomsandkids.com you’ll find inspiration and encouragement for moms raising tweens and/or teens. Read more in the “about” section of this page.
(Inside: Do you wonder how to be an organized working mom? Or how to be an efficient mom who keeps her family humming and also includes self-care? Read on…)
“I can’t do this anymore,” I stated matter of factly to my husband
I don’t know what made me say it; my defeated statement wasn’t planned. I just suddenly felt tired, even though my-9-months-of-the-year-working-mom-teacher-life hadn’t started yet.
But, I could feel it coming. My three boys and I had scoured Target for the last of the school supplies. We’d found a pack of pre-sharpened mustard-colored pencils here, a pair of shiny scissors there… My sons and I had sifted through their closets, purging the too-small clothes, tucking the summer clothes in the back, and bringing the fall clothes to the front. We’d marked our calendars with their soccer practices and tournament schedules.
However, instead of feeling the excitement and anticipation of the school routine, I felt like the world was closing in on me. Free time felt 9 months away. It was only August, and I felt like I was already suffocating.
I love motherhood, my teaching job, and being busy. But, I’d slipped into doing hectic life by “flying by the seat of my pants” and apparently the “seat of my pants” was done with me. A mental fog had rolled in and grounded my plane. Here I was at the end of summer, about to go back to teaching feeling overwhelmed instead of refreshed.
How to Be a Less Overwhelmed and More Organized Mom
13 years of parenting have taught me to listen when my body says, “Stop, I’m tired.” I reflected on exactly what I needed to reignite my zeal for life, work, and motherhood. I found I needed:
Daily routines for my family and me to help us all keep up with the housework, laundry, meals. (I needed my home to stay a tad bit cleaner for my sanity!)
Daily inspiration.
Even though I even felt too tired to put together a schedule, I knew that if I’d just get started, ultimately, I’d end up with more time and a happier heart. Even if I just got organized for a month (or a week), I knew it’d help.
A good starting point to becoming a more organized mom:
So, I played with a schedule of motivating tasks each day both for my home (organization) and my heart (inspiration.) I didn’t turn this into a rigid routine, rather it becomes my rhythm, my daily hum from about September through February. Then, when I hit March, I’m just trying to hold on to the bronco for the full 8 seconds and ride out the end-of-the-year craziness until blessed summer hits.
And because I love when other moms share what’s currently working for them, I’m sharing what’s keeping my home a little cleaner and my heart a little happier. Here’s the starting point for my routine (subject to be slightly adjusted weekly or daily)…
Give me a printable of this schedule that I can hang on my fridge.
Cook 2-3 meals. Make your family meal for the night and double the recipe. Or cook up a bunch of one kind of meat and make into three different meals. For example, throw chicken breasts in the crockpot in the morning, then in the evening put together these three meals:
Set a timer for 15 minutes and clean out one messy area:
sock drawer
junk drawer
mudroom closet
bookshelf
spice cabinet
medicine cabinet
straighten shoes
or any corner of the house that’s bugging you…
Inspiration Action:
During the 15 minutes and while you clean, listen to inspirational music. Take deep breaths during the mindless task and let peace pour over you. Need a recommendation? I swoon over Lauren Daigle’s music. And your kids? Don’t worry – they’ll leave you alone to mentally refuel. They know you’re cleaning and if they get too close, they’ll be asked to join. That’s not until tomorrow babies, so give momma these 15 minutes…
Wednesday – Pick Up the House Day
Organized Mom Action:
After the family dinner, everyone helps clean the dishes and tidy up the house. There are 5 members in my family, so this is how we break it down:
Mom & Dad – dishes/kitchen, pack kids’ lunches
Oldest Son – straighten his bedroom and the basement
Middle Son – straighten his bedroom, the dining room, and the mudroom
Youngest Son – straighten his bedroom and the main living room
Basically, every kid straightens his/her own bedroom and one other room in the house.
Inspiration Action:
During the family meal, every person says something encouraging to the family member on his/her right. Y’all – this world can be haaaaarsh. Let’s intentionally schedule time to encourage each other. Our minds, bodies, and souls crave encouragement. Soak in the sweet words your family says about you. Then encourage them to “get going” on their after-dinner chore with enthusiastic gusto and hope they buy it.
Thursday – Clean the House Day
Organized Mom Action:
After dinner, everyone does 1-2 chores to clean the house. Here’s what it looks like in our home:
Dad – dishes, pack lunches
Mom – bathrooms (I’m psycho about the bathrooms! I have 3 boys – they’ve done their damage, now let me do mine. Hello, Clorox. Or – heaven help me – straight bleach.)
Remember the house is already picked up, so everyone can have their choir done in 30 minutes. (Mommas, even if your children fuss, stay strong in requiring them to help. It’s so good for little ones to have chores – it gives them ownership over our home and builds their leadership skills.)
At dinner, invite your family to express sincere thanks for three “things” in their lives. Reset perspective by facilitating a verbal gratitude journal. I love this quote about gratitude:
“Going ahead in the midst of the stressful circumstances and giving thanks in that moment – you can’t simultaneously feel stress and gratitude at the same time. So as a parent, to go ahead and start to give thanks to God resets the whole family.” Ann Voskamp
Plus, your kids will need a moment to give thanks for their home, because they are about to clean it. Cowboy up, kids – let’s make our home shine.
Get a free printable of daily motivating tasks to help you take care of your home and your heart.
By Friday, I’ve had a busy week. I’ve been responsible for 4 days in a row. And I’m so ungodly tired. Please don’t anyone expect anything out of me. I don’t want to be wise, or hard-working, and at this point don’t care if I’m an organized mom or not. So the most I can expect out of myself is getting 2 loads of laundry through the washer and dryer. And honestly, I’m a morning girl, so this chore usually gets done before I go to work. (Thank you speed wash/dry setting.)
Inspiration Action:
The inspiration is that your family has been organized all week. Your kids have been good. Or good enough. So now it’s their day – grab some pizza, let your kids binge-watch Netflix or rot their brains with video games. This is the day I refuel through blogging and drinking a caramel mocha with Friends on in the background. On YOUR Friday, find something that refuels you:
craft
movies
take a walk
take a hot bath
read a book
do whatever refuels you
Saturday – Laundry and Exercise Day
Organized Mom Action:
Again – the only chore I can stomach is another 2-3 loads of laundry. (That usually finishes the week’s laundry for my family.)
Inspiration Action:
Exercise. Walk your dog. Play soccer with your kids. Hike a local state park. Breathe in fresh air and release those endorphins.
Sunday – Rest and Reset Day
Organized Mom Action:
Take 45 minutes in the evening to with the family:
straighten the house (The whole family helps. Set the timer for 15-20 minutes and encourage everyone to hustle.)
pack school lunches
kids’ homework is done
make sure Mondays gear is ready and by the door
Inspiration:
Sunday is family day/rest day. Most of the day is restful except for the evening when we prepare for Monday. Find time to do something restful:
prayer
journaling
nap
Church
card game
reading
Empowered Moms and Kids Meditations for Moms exercise.
How to be an Organized and Happy Mom
That’s it.
Most days, the organizational action takes 30 minutes or less.
You guys – I can waste 30 minutes trying to find a good show to watch on television. We won’t ever FEEL like being organized, so mind over matter here. Know that a little mom organization each day will give us more overall free time during the week and much more overall sanity…and dare I say…JOY!
As I imperfectly continue to work on being a more organized mom, I find that small changes make a big impact. These small daily routines move my thoughts from “I can’t do this anymore” to “It’s not about perfect, it’s about purpose.” I’m purposefully trying to daily be more organized, and when I fall off the wagon – which OF COURSE – I do…it’s no big deal. I just get back into my routine at some point and it all turns out “good enough.”
(Also to be noted: Different seasons call for different family routines. This might work for you for a month and that’s it, perfect. Onto whatever else your family needs. Mom life is full of flexibility and grace.)
Your Turn
What about you? What organization or inspirational daily tasks do you do? Let me know in the comments.
Read the full thriving in working mom life series…
I went to college to get my high school teaching degree. I planned to work for a few years, then stay home with babies. My mind was made up.
Except, I didn’t factor in one thing…
I loved my career.
Furthermore, at my workplace, there were so many working moms that daily showed me how to be great at both your job and motherhood. So, after taking six years off to be home with my kids and fulfill that dream, I chose to go back to work.
I love being a working mom and I want to imperfectly thrive in it – I know you to thrive too. Be encouraged through this series on being a working mom.
Join this community of moms raising tweens and teens
You just dropped one kid off at practice, picked up another, and are trying to decide what to make for dinner. Your days are filled with work, parenting, and waiting for password reset emails.
You are parenting tweens and teens.
It’s an amazing life phase, but also challenging in unique ways. In it all, you’d love a little encouragement to help you laugh, grow in faith, see parenting hacks, get ideas to connect with your kid, and celebrate the awesome momma you are.
I got you, friend. Sign up for Empowered Moms and Kids monthly emails and get encouragement in your inbox geared for someone exactly in your life chapter. It’s totally free and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Plus, you’ll get instant access to all the great resources in the freebie library.Join our community below.
Cheryl is a mom of 3 boys, wife, speaker, high school teacher, and author of Empowered Moms & Kids. She has a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and is passionate about learning and teaching. On www.empoweredmomsandkids.com you’ll find inspiration and encouragement for moms raising tweens and/or teens. Read more in the “about” section of this page.
