Let’s get our lives in order! Here are some common habits and routines of organized stay at home moms, with a printable for you too!
I want to put something right out here right now.
I grew up hearing I had very slobby habits.
So I’m not naturally super organized and efficient. I do not Micro Organize my drawers or color code them.
I like quick tidying habits. And I like simple ways to have the house be in order.
Like house walks.
Follow this checklist until your tidy routines become second nature.
So over the years I have found some basic and easy ways to stay organized – to whatever level works for your family – and I hope these help you too.
Read: Stuck In Survival Mode? Here’s How To Get Out
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Organized Stay At Home Moms Do These Things
So here are some habits that organized stay at home moms do that help them maintain sanity.
Read: A Stay At Home Mom Schedule That Keeps You Grounded
They Major on the Majors, Minor on the Minors
I wanted to put this first because it speaks volumes.
I first heard this expression when we lived in England. It was true then and true now. We need to major on the majors and minor on the minors.
This means when it’s time to tidy we don’t choose some back closet we barely see and create an elaborate gift wrapping station. We don’t obsess over junk drawer placements.
We aren’t labeling every basket in closets with doors. And we aren’t Marie Kondo folding t-shirts that are in storage.
Oh no.
We are choosing rooms with a lot of traffic. Areas that collect the most debris. We are making routines around times that are most stressful and tasks we do most often.
We put the majority of our effort into things that take up the majority of our time.
Follow this checklist until your tidy routines become second nature.
Organized moms have routines
Every family is different. What works for you might not work for me and vice versa.
But there are a few things that we all have in common, and these are the things we build routines around.
Everyone’s gotta eat.
Everyone’s gotta sleep.
And everyone’s gotta keep house.
Here are some routines that serve moms:
- Breastfeeding schedules (if you nurse)
- Baby schedules and routines
- Toddler schedules and routines
- Mom schedules and routines
- School schedules and routines
- Weekly routines
- Daily schedules and routines (for kids and mom)
- Chore and housekeeping routines
Need a place to do a brain dump, weekly planning, self-care tracking, and To Do list all in one? This notepad will help you organize your family live, one week at a time.
Learn MoreOrganized mamas tidy regularly
Have you heard of the One Touch rule?
This rule says that if you can touch an object once, do so.
Instead of coming inside and putting your coat on the counter, then later hanging the coat up… just hang the coat straight up.
Don’t touch it twice if you can touch it once.
Organized stay at home mothers make a habit of tidying all day while they’re doing normal things, not waiting until it takes 3 hours to tidy.
When she’s in the bathroom brushing her teeth, she may wipe the counter and put products away.
Before moving on to a different activity, she has the kids help her put away the current one. In the South African way.
Follow this checklist until your tidy routines become second nature.
Organized SAHMs tend towards minimalism
The more stuff you have the more difficult it is to manage.
It’s hard for kids to clean up all their mess if their rooms are exploding with toys.
It’s difficult to put things away and out of sight when the drawers, closets, and storage containers are exploding with things.
The fewer things you have, the easier it is to keep an organized and tidy home.
- Having one full set of dishes.
- Making a small designated basket or two for toys in living areas, that’s it.
- Clothes in, clothes out habit. If you purchase new clothes, donate or throw out others that are too worn, too small, or too little used.
- Have just enough clothes for a week or two and some special occasions, and that’s it. Kids don’t need 15 pairs of shorts and t-shirts. It’s just more to wash.
- Minimize your schedule until it’s just the things that bring the most to your family culture.
Your Overcoming Overwhelm Guide will help take you from practical, emotional, and spiritual overwhelm to a place of more peace and calm, regardless of whether your circumstances change.
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They use calendars and reminders
You might be a family whose calendars are synced.
We are not, but we still work off a visual calendar.
Whether you want to be paper or digital, organized moms know when they need to be places, and they make sure their family does too.
This wasn’t necessary for us until the kids were in school and our school mornings and school afternoons started to become more busy.
Having a large calendar (I used one similar to this) helped us see our schedule 3 months out. We hung 3 months at a time on our large command center chalk board and it kept us from being too busy or double booking.
Follow this checklist until your tidy routines become second nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Keeping a planner is one way, having reminders whether paper or by phone, and simply doing it often enough that you keep these habits going all the time without falling behind.
Well, you may! I have an in depth stay at home mom schedule here, and you can always make your own.
If you are a more routine person, you may like to know what happens when, if you are more go with the flow, having organizing habits may do better than having a full day schedule.
Regular cleaning habits go a long way in keeping the home tidy and well kept. Whether it’s choosing a day of the week for a certain task or simply having a master list you check off, you can keep ahead of the chores.
See our doable weekly cleaning checklist here.
I would start with the areas that you are in and use the most often because these areas will give you the most bang for your buck. Take into account how much time you have and which area causes you the most stress when it isn’t organized and go from there.
Keeping bathrooms organized is easier when there are less things in the bathroom to clutter it. Consider decluttering under the sinks and other storage areas to keep the clutter to a minimum and save time cleaning in the long run. Other than that, when it is age-appropriate for your kids, teach them how to clean the bathroom too!
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I love my Everyday Mom bundle! I bought it a few weeks ago and it is already making a difference in my home and life. It makes keeping track of all the different areas of life so much easier. I feel calmer and more organized with my binder. And my husband is happier because our home is so much cleaner!
Brooke, I am so happy to hear this, it’s exactly why I’ve created it. Woohoo!!!
Huge respect for all the other mums out there, it is a marathon not a sprint. Sometimes I think back to before I followed these tips and wonder what I did with all my time haha. Much better for reading this one thanks so much.