Inside: The 5 building blocks to crafting the perfect mom morning routine - one that you will love! Spoiler alert: no household chores allowed.
I could already tell it is going to be a hard day.
Still tucked tightly under the sheets, I could hear the pitter patter of feet coming towards my bedroom. The door opened and their bright smiles filled the room.
“Mama!” my youngest says.
“Good morning!” I replied, as enthusiastically as I could. But the guilt quickly set in - I didn't feel as happy to see them this morning as they were to see me. It’s come too soon, this business of waking up, and I’m groggy and irritable.
And suddenly it happened - I snapped at my oldest.
Not because he did anything, but because I’m not ready for the day to start and his requests feel annoying to me.
If only I had a cup of tea and a minute to myself.
Oh wait, I could have had that...
>>> READ: Tips To Be A More Patient Parent
Why Every Stay-At-Home Mom Must Start A Morning Routine
I LOVE my early mom morning routine (or , as I call it, my Mama's Morning). I could talk your ear off about morning routine, so for the sake of brevity (I know you have things to get done), here is a quick summary of the ways that my Mama’s Morning has changed my life as a mama to my boys. Waking up early:
- gives me a chance to work on projects that I LOVE (or at least get a decent workout in)
- provides more (yes...more!) energy and patience for those that I care about most
- allows for the ever elusive “me time” that all stay at home moms crave!
- opens up opportunities to be in the Word of God, uninterrupted
- let's me get my "grumpy" out before the rest of my family wakes up
Raise your hand of you want any of those things?
If your hand isn't raise, you might be lying to yourself...
As mamas we don’t always get time to ourselves - if you are anything like me that alone time is something you crave.
Even the most extroverted woman finds she needs a little peace and quiet after a day in a house swarming with toddlers.
There is little we have total control over when it comes to our days with little ones. Interruptions are an inevitable.
You may not be able to count on another 30 minutes of the day to go as planned, but you can always count on your Mama’s Morning.
The one thing that should NOT be included in your mom morning routine:
Before we go on, can I address something? This might be controversial, but I'll say it anyways: a morning routine should not be productive. Rather, it should be energizing and life-giving.
It should not include folding the pile of cold laundry that is stashed away in the corner of the room (if your morning is done right, you will find time for that later on in the day!).
If you're looking for aproductive morning routine, this is not the place for you.
While a morning routine for moms should not be productive, there are 5 routines I think every mom should practice before the kids wake up. And while these are not "productive" they will aid in giving you the energy to go about the rest of your day productively.
The Five Building Blocks of A Perfect SAHM Morning Routine
1. Read the Bible + Pray
If you are a believer in Christ, then this is a MUST.
As followers of Jesus we are called to serve. And as mamas our service is mostly geared towards our kids and husband. But serving is draining and depleting - if done out of our own strength.
This is why we mamas so often feel exhausted, mentally foggy, and lack the energy we crave: we're trying to do it on our own.
But God does not ask us to serve on our own. He has asked us to allow Him to fill us and energize us with His Spirit.
He asks us to serve with Him.
We cannot be filled and encouraged by Him if we are not spending time in the Word and praying with our Creator.
So if you do nothing else during your Mama’s Morning, do this: Take time toallow your God to fill + energize youfor what He has asked you to do.
2. Do Something Creative
As kids we are often divided into two groups: the kids who are “creative”, and the kids who are not. I was in the “not” category. And I took this on as a label and believed it.
But the older I get, the more I realize I AM creative. We are all creative in some form or another.
Creative: marked by the ability or power to create; given to creating
We all create on some level. We create
- meals
- functional and fun bedrooms for ourselves and our kids
- objects out of playdough
- budgets
- lists and methods for running our home
- presentations at work
- games and activities for our kids.
The older I get the more I realize I need some form of creative outlet. And having kids intensifies that need--because as mamas we need an extra dose of creativity to play hardand well, and to inspire our little ones to pursue creativity as well.
It's important as mamas and wives and neighbors to get our creative juices flowing in the morning. Not sure where to start? Try one of these:
3. Prepare your body for the day
I used to call this element “exercise”. But I’ve realized the reason I loved working out in the morning was because it helped me feel more prepared for the day ahead.
There are so many ways to get our bodies ready for what’s to come. That may not include a workout for every mama (though I do believe every mama should be spending part of her day getting good physical activity in). For you, preparing your body for the day could look like:
- Taking a shower
- Painting your nails
- Going on a run
- Brushing your teeth and fixing your hair
- Putting makeup on
- Doing a YouTube Workout
Just do something that helps your physical body feel ready and confident about the day ahead.
>>> READ: 5 No-Brainer Ways SAHMs Can Stay Fit
4. Practice personal growth
It’s tempting to think that as mamas personal growth doesn’t apply to us - that we are just at home playing with our kids and personal growth is for those guys and gals in suites riding elevators up to their office suite.
I am convinced that moms MUST practice personal growth if for no other reason than we have little ones watching and learning from us every single day.
So what is personal growth? It is the act of intentionally improving behavior, habits, and ways of thinking, and continually pursuing the full potential that you were created to have. And this could be as simple as reading more non-fiction books, learning new skills, taking time to be more introspective with journaling, or spending more time in the Word.
We are raising little people here! If anyone needs to practice personal growth it is you and me. We are teaching our kids how to live and thrive in this world. To teach them well, we must be consistently working towards the full potential God has given us.
>>> READ: 10 Journaling Techniques for Moms
5. Enjoy A Treat (that you don't have to share) 🙂
If I am being honest (and I hope I'm always honest here) this is what gets me up in the mornings - it is the vital piece of the motivate-yourself-to-get-out-of-bed formula.
It doesn’t have to be anything big (and don’t overindulge here!). Even just a cup of coffee with a special creamer, or a fancy herbal tea you don’t normally drink, or a piece of dark chocolate will do the trick 😉
You know that urge you get in the middle of the day when you suddenly feel the need to dash away (into a closet or under a table) and treat yourself to a moment alone and something tasty? You do, I know you do. Because I get that feeling all that time.
But when we have had a little treat in the morning we can hold off on the sudden urge more confidently knowing we’ve already treated ourselves, and we will get to again tomorrow morning. No dashing necessary!
Incorporating a treat into your Mama’s Morning also ensures that you will get to enjoy said treat all in one sitting--imagine savoring your hot coffee rather than wolfing it down while chasing the kids. Now, that’s a treat!
Design Your Own Perfect Stay-At-Home Mom Morning Routine
Don’t start your mornings off groggy and irritable like I have so many times. You can try to fake early morning enthusiasm with your kids - but they can tell.
If fitting in time in the Word, something creative, a short workout, personal growth, and a little treat sounds overwhelming, then don’t start with all 5! Pick one or two from our list of five to start with. I recommend always having a little treat and spending time with God, but YOU choose what is most important to you, and go from there.
I’m rooting for you,
