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Morning Cleaning Routine for Stay-at-home moms

House cleaning routine for stay-at-home moms that helps keeps the stress down

Two routines make or break my tidy home efforts.  My morning routine and evening routine.  

It took me a few years to streamline it.  Home management is not one size fits all.  But habit stacking is something everyone can do, and it will create lasting change in your home. 

I whole hearty believe that systems and routines can simplify your life which Is why I made it my job to help others.  Habit-stacking my cleaning is the only way I have been able to combat procrastination, overwhelm, and dealing with life and unpredictable kids.

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Because the evening routine sets us up for the morning, they go hand in hand.   Even if you’re trying to establish a simple morning routine if you are currently struggling, getting an excellent start to your day can help with staying motivated as a stay-at-home mom.

Knocking a few things out when you are just starting your day can get you feeling accomplished, even if the rest of the day is unproductive because of kids who have their own agendas.

Daughter pouring cereal in bowl for father – depositphotos.com

What Should I do in the morning routine?

Inside my cleaning routine, I have what are called non-negotiable tasks.

These are done 80-90 percent of the time every single day.  Remember that life can get crazy, and that’s ok.  We lean on our routines and habit stacks to help keep us going.

Here is what I do each morning high-level overview 

  • Make beds 
  • Bring laundry down and put it into the machine before I start making breakfast
  • Make breakfast
  • Unload the dishwasher while the kids eat 
  • After breakfast, clean/tidy (kitchen reset)
  • Switch the load to the dryer before we head out anywhere or before we transition out of the kitchen for activities 

Here is a detailed look inside my daily morning routine

Making Beds 

I believe it’s all in the family that should help and how it’s not JUST mom’s job to clean.

My husband makes our bed each morning because we discovered it was a tension point as he likes the bed a certain way.

When we figure out our spouse’s preferences or strengths, we use those to help with home management. 

Ultimately he makes our bed each morning unless I am not up at the same time.

The kids have been learning to make their beds since around age 4.  And so they make their beds actually after breakfast after getting dressed. 

I don’t expect perfection from them, but I want to establish a habit stack that supports tidy habits.  So when they grow older, it’s a part of their natural routine/habits.

Laundry

I do a load of laundry every day as a part of my daily cleaning routine, and I have a system for keeping our laundry under control.  

Each day before I come downstairs to the kitchen to prep breakfast, I grab a laundry basket.

I put it straight into the machine.  The kids are older now, so they usually sit on the couch watching TV while waiting for me to make breakfast.

When they were babies and toddlers, I would place them in their high chairs or baby swing.  

When I was nursing, I would either nurse right before or shortly after.

Loading the washing machine right before breakfast is the perfect time because it usually is finished or just about finished by the time breakfast is over and I have tidied the kitchen.  So I never have the “forgot to switch the load” issues.  

This is the power of habit stacking, and you learn how to maximize your time and productivity and hack your brain.

I highly recommend Atomic Habits by James Clear you can read and listen to it here.

If I leave the house and the load isn’t done, the first thing I do when I return is switching the load.

Unload the dishwasher

As a part of my nightly routine, I load the dishwasher.  So in the morning, during breakfast time, I unload the washer.

If I am gonna eat, then this is the time I sit and eat or create my breakfast.  

But already, I feel accomplished for the day, with clothes washed and all dishes put away.

Kitchen Reset routine 

There are a few resets I do inside my entire home management systems and routines.

The kitchen reset is me resetting the kitchen so it’s ready for lunch later and or after coming back from activities. 

This includes me wiping down counters, sweeping the kitchen, and taking care of the morning dishes.  It could be washing them by hand or loading them into the dishwasher.

Are morning routines important?

Yes!  So important.  They are the foundation to avoid decision fatigue.  If you are spending your days all over saying ok I am going to do this today, no, maybe I should do this and then the time just ticks away, and you have only dabbled here and there. 

It’s the worst when you have a scattered brain and don’t finish a task from start to finish.

What are the benefits of having a morning routine?

Having a morning routine will help you be more productive.  It helps set the tone of the day.  Believe it or not, we set the tone of our home.  Have you ever experienced a day where you were just kinda down and unmotivated, and it seemed like the kids were crazy? 

They were more clingy or maybe even whiny.

Just like you can cut the air in a stressed board room, kids can feel when you are feeling down or out of control. So they kinda react the same. 

Creates better habits when we follow a routine of tidy habits in the morning, our family will tend to follow suit.  Remember that you are the leader of the pack.  I know it gets exhausting reminding everyone each day. 

And I get tired of repeating myself each morning too.  I don’t understand why kids sometimes need to be told three times to get shoes on, and it takes raising your voice before they move.  Somedays, it just is that way.

But I promise you that if you are building habits like steps, your kids will get older, and it will help them. And the reminding becomes less (I mean the yelling) 🥰

Changing your mind frame the state of mind as a mom can drain us.  But if we go into the day with a positive mindset and start with even two things off our list before the chaos begins, it can transform our day and mind. 

Lower stress if you have ever felt the stress of the day with the kids or felt at the end of the day you didn’t get anything done.  Having a powerful morning routine will lower your stress.  When our day starts to get into it, the kids are screaming for attention or getting into things.

As moms, we feel the strain of the lack of time, and that starts to raise our stress levels.

Getting started with creating your morning routine

List out the things you would like to get done each morning.  I strive for the first hour to two hours of the morning.  

Some people like to use the time-blocking method.  The things you write must be non-negotiable tasks and aim for at least three.  I have a printable that I use, which is my daily sheet. It’s inside the QUICK START GUIDE just enter your email below and I will send it.

We aim for three to reduce overwhelm and to have realistic expectations. 

Next, decide what time you are starting and ending your morning routine.  

Lastly, decide the order in which you want to do each task. 

So if you want to use mine that I listed above, go ahead but tailor it by figuring out your habit stack.  

If you are looking for more systems and routines, check out this page