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Home » Routines & Schedules » Mom Schedules & Routines » 8 Things To Do The Same Time Every Day, Every Week

8 Things To Do The Same Time Every Day, Every Week

Updated June 4, 2020

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Want simple chaos-erasing family routines? Who doesn't? Check out our Family Routines Reboot!

Want your life to run more smoothly so you have less stress and overwhelm? Add these things to your daily and weekly routines.

Here are 4 things to keep on your weekly routine and 4 to add to your nightly. 


I am, apparently, a creature of habit. 

If you ask me to tell you about my entire day, and then compare that to other days – I probably seem like a robot. Predictable. Maybe even, extremely self-disciplined.

But really, I don’t think that’s the case. 

I am simply fond of habits and routines. If I do something a few days in a row that works for me, I keep it up until I’m doing it daily, nightly, or weekly. I do it until it doesn’t work for me anymore then I do something new.

clothes hanging up

Why are routines and habits so amazing?

They help lessen the mental overload we all share as busy moms.

“It is utterly exhausting to keep track of everything for an entire family. There are countless invisible things a woman typically keeps track of that no one sees but her.” Mental Load of Motherhood 

By turning something from a to-do list line item to a habit… you simply do it without thinking. It no longer takes up brain space nor do you need to put reminders everywhere. You simply do it and it’s done regularly.

Read: Mom Morning Routines That Bring Sanity & Order

Things To Do In Your Weekly Routine, Nightly Routine, & Morning Routines

Note: Some of the things mentioned here will apply to us all. But you might want to add some things in here I haven’t mentioned. Please take this as inspiration not “should” advice. The key is to add things into the routines that take up mental space so that you can feel more at peace.

mom cuddling with newborn

WEEKLY ROUTINE: Set Yourself Up For The Week Ahead

These are things that come in handy for me to do once per week. I personally do these on Sunday afternoon or evenings to alleviate some of the “Sunday Scaries” but you can do them at any natural break in your week. Friday before dinner, Saturday morning, or even Monday morning.

Read: The Mom Morning Routine — Start The Day Off Strong

Meal Plan & Grocery Shop

We live in the sticks. No InstaCart. No grocery delivery. I cannot – this is not a joke – even order my groceries online and pick them up.

No, sir. Old school grocery shopping for me.

I used to randomly go to the store whenever we ran out of food and this caused stress. I dreaded it – since I wasn’t organized – and would put it off until we barely had food and were forced to eat out.

Now, I meal plan immediately before going grocery shopping and I go grocery shopping at the same time every week.

  • Choose your meal planning medium (Pinterest, write on a chalkboard, print out recipes, etc.)
  • Choose a time that suits you to grocery shop that you can do every single week
  • Do the full shop at this time. Don’t skip the milk if you already have a jug in the refrigerator, buy all the regulars.

By doing this I soon found my pantry was always well-stocked, my fridge rarely got to empty, and I spent less money both at the store and eating out.

little girl eating

Update And Plan In Planner

Whether you use a digital planner or a paper planner, it’s a good idea to update it weekly. Every Sunday evening, I go to my desk, get out my paper planner, and get to work. I’ve personally used both the Simplified Planner and the Brilliant Life Planner and love them both.

  • Get out your planner of choice (digital or paper).
  • Fill in all the standing weekly appointments (church, groups, extra curriculars, etc.)
  • Write down things you need to complete this week, making sure not to add too many Big things so you stand a chance of completing it.
  • Make note of any appointments or meetings you need to tell your spouse about so you can tag team things. (If digital, it’s likely already shared)
woman writing a weekly to do list

Create Weekly To Do List

I do this at the same time I’m filling out my planner. I write down things or projects I need to complete by the week’s end. This is different than a brain dump which is essentially a huge master list of all the things you want done. A to do list is a list of things you’ll be able to complete in a 7 day period.

  • Projects
  • Phone calls
  • Things to buy
  • Things to brainstorm / plan (like plans for an upcoming birthday or holiday, etc.)

Choose Kids Clothes For The Week

Before we started homeschooling, I picked out all of my school aged children’s outfits each Sunday evening and then hung them up ready for the morning. This cut down on So Much Stress as the kids got themselves ready each morning for school.


Also these….
  • Confirm any social plans with friends
  • Think about the weekend ahead, schedule in tentative plans
  • Plan workouts… they’ll be more likely to happen
  • Check bank accounts, budgets, etc. make sure you’re on track
  • Buy miscellaneous things you know you need from Prime (Wal-Mart and Target have quick shipping now too)
  • Dump old leftovers from fridge
  •  

NIGHTLY ROUTINE: Things To Do Each Night To Set Yourself Up For Success

Morning routines are very important when we have young kids. But I’ve found that the evening routine may even be more important than the morning for having a good day. If I’ve done a good nightly routine the night before… I am far more likely to be up and running the next morning.

clean kitchen countertop
Helpful Habits Each Evening
  • Lay Out Clothes | I lay out my early morning gym clothes for the mornings I’m going to work out, or whatever other outfit I’m going to wear. It is some how easier and more inspiring to do this at night.
  • Check The Planner | Reference your plans for the next day to make sure you’re prepared. What needs to happen, appointments, or anything else you want to fit in. Waking up surprised by what has to be done breeds stress.
  • Set Out Morning Drinks | I will put a mug, my vitamins, and a gallon water jug near my coffee station. It’s all sitting there waiting on me prettily for the first cup o the day.
  • Confirm The Morning’s Plans | If you have any plans the following day, confirm them with interested parties so you’re not left hanging.
  • Set Your Alarm | Even getting up just 15 minutes before your kids do can make a huge difference in your mindset.
  • Evening Sweep | Do a general sweep of your entire home by doing my “macro organizing” trick.
  • Clean Surfaces | It’s a total stress buster.
  • Put Clothes In Washer | If you have a timed washing machine, put a load of clothes in the wash to go off in the morning. Before lunch you’ll have one load done.
So there you go…

If you feel that your days, nights, and weeks go by in a flash and you don’t have a good handle on them, try choosing a day each week to block out some weekly routines. Then do it nightly.

“Good habits are worth being fanatical about.” John Irving

weekly routine checklist

Click here to grab your own printable weekly routines checklist to help you start fresh each week with energy instead of dread.

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  • find a routine and rhythm for your child
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  • know what is and isn’t working so you can make one tweak that’ll change your day

Click here to sign up for my free email series or simply click on the image below.

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Rachel

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Filed Under: Mom Schedules & Routines, Routines & Schedules9

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Anyways I started following your routine and we just sat in bed and had what I told him was “quiet time.” We sat and read and made a fort and had warm milk. Then today I told him it was quiet time again and he tried to escape the bed a couple times, but in the end he snuggled up after the warm bottle and fell asleep for 3 hours! I was almost in tears I was so excited! So thank you!

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Comments

  1. Xna says

    Hi Rachel! I’m a new subscriber. I feel so blessed to have stumbled upon your website especially this article about routines. Before, i felt I was alone in this frustration every Sunday to make it productive so that Monday would be energizing. After reading your article, I became hopeful. I realized that I should be consistent with my routines. Thank you, Rachel.

    Reply
    • Rachel Norman says

      Oh I totally get that it’s so hard on the Sunday. The Sunday SCaries, they call it for a reason! Hoping you find some routines that help you :)

      Reply
  2. Clean Home says

    A nice eye-opener article for me. I never ever plan our meal. It’s like, what I can buy on the grocery that weekend should what we consumed. The thing is that my mom doesn’t want to eat the foods I like and ended up consuming twice the budget for us.

    Reply
    • Rachel Norman says

      Yes, that’s a good point. If we plan we will spend less. If we don’t we get random foods and half the time they don’t go together and then we end up eating out!

      Reply
  3. Jo Greene says

    I’m a mom of 3 & I own/run a business. I ALWAYS take a nap on Sunday afternoon. It feels like I got a relaxing weekend. Going into the week well rested makes all the difference.

    Reply
    • Rachel Norman says

      LOVE a good afternoon nap :)

      Reply
  4. Kasey says

    My sons and I have two routines that we find absolutely essencial. The few days these don’t happen, it throws off our whole day.

    The night before. I make waaaaay too much dinner quite on purpose.
    -After dinner my youngest clears the dining room table while my older son starts tidying the kitchen. While they are doing that, I start loading the dishwasher.
    -After the dishwasher is loaded, my children wash anything that wouldn’t fit in the dishwasher while I take the leftovers from dinner and pack everyones lunches for the next day. (The containers go in the fridge, not the actual lunch boxes).
    -The dishes used for cooking are filled with hot soapy water to soak overnight. and the stove and counters get a good wipe.
    -A load of laundry is set to wash.

    Then, in the morning…
    -My oldest (9 years old) and I get up a half hour before his younger brother. He makes a pot of coffee while I put the load of laundry in the dryer. Then he puts away clean dishes while I start cleaning anything the boys missed on the counters the night before. The floor gets a good sweep, and then he washes the dishes that soaked overnight while I start making breakfast.
    -right about now the younger boy gets up. We all eat breakfast and the children clear off the table and rinse and stack the dishes while I put everyones lunches into the apropriate lunch boxes.

    Every time we slip up on one of these two (because they both effect each other) it throws the entire day out of whack. You said to share any routines we have that we find absolutely essential.

    Reply
    • Rachel Norman says

      These are EXCELLENT examples and I’m loving them. You’ve got a well oiled machine over there, woman!

      Reply
  5. Mary says

    I always like to have the kitchen sparkling clean every night before bed. Makes morning easier! I’m not typically motivated to get the dishes done right after I eat so I have to tell myself how much easier my morning will be if I just get to it. I also meal plan for the week, and I like to wake up an hour before my daughter to enjoy my coffee in peace. Thankfully she wakes up at the same time on the dot EVERY day. I’m so glad I found your blog. I’m a military wife and feel like sometimes I lose myself in being a mom and being alone all the time. I don’t feel so alone anymore, you’ve really saved my mental health. Thank you.

    Reply

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Hey y'all, I'm Rachel Norman, BA, MS, Language of Listening® parenting coach, mother to 5 babies in 5 years on 3 continents, no multiples. Join me in parenting without losing your mind. Read More >>

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