A new baby calls for a new routine – so today, I thought I’d share some productivity tips for moms that helped me out tremendously!
Staying on top of housework and meal planning is difficult enough with a small baby.
Now add the responsibilities you had before plus everything you dream of accomplishing!
As a new mom, life can get overwhelming – and that’s exactly what inspired me to write this list of tips for how to be a productive mom.
But trust me, you can achieve anything you put your mind to – even as a first time mom with a brand new baby.
I decided to start taking blogging seriously when my little girl was born – and you can have it all too!
Ready to learn how to be a productive working mom?
Then let’s talk productivity, mama!
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More ways moms can make money:
- 10 Things to Stop Buying to Save Money ($9,000+ a Year!)
- How to Make $5,000+ Selling Your Junk on Facebook
- Save Big on Every Purchase with Rakuten Cash Back Rewards
9 Productivity Tips for Busy Moms (that Actually WORK!)
How do stay at home moms get things done?
Use this list of new mom tips and tricks to organize your days more effectively while taking care of yourself and your loved ones.
Let’s start with something that most moms are way too guilty of!
(1) Make Sleep a Priority
This will always be number one when it comes to how to be a successful stay at home mom.
Productivity tips for moms begin and end with getting enough rest – something which is absolutely essential if you want to make the most of your days!
Teething, upset tummies, and separation anxiety can take a lot out of a new mom, so why not arm yourself with ample energy?
From about the time that M was 4 to 6 months old, I’d take at least one nap with her. And if I was really crashing hard, I’d go to bed at the same time she did at night and sleep until she’s up for the day.
I always feel like a brand new person when I’ve had enough rest – I’m more aware of what I’m doing and can accomplish whatever I’ve set out to that much more quickly.
Getting an adequate amount of sleep helps to:
- control your appetite
- boost your immune system
- improves memory
There’s often a stigma attached to sleeping and for whatever reason, society tends to celebrate not getting enough rest!
Give your body what it craves and you’ll be able to handle more throughout the day, especially with a very young baby!
Try it for just a couple of days you’ll be surprised by the clarity you quickly feel!
Your work and chores will still be there in the morning.
These days, I split my day into two parts: I do all chores and household tasks while M is up for the day and save work for evenings and nap time.
I designed three sets of alphabet coloring books (you can download them all for FREE!) to keep the little ones entertained and learning while I’m working on other things.
I hope they help you too 🙂
Consider what times work best for you and your little one(s) – are they clingy like mine were and hate it when you work on the computer? Save the online stuff for when they’re sleeping!
Do what works for you!
Action:
- If you’re tired, take a nap when baby does – you’ll be able to accomplish much more if you’re well rested!
- Create a relaxing routine and environment before bed
- Don’t feel guilty for not getting it all done in one day – that ship has sailed!
Related ideas for how to be a productive mom:
- 10 Ways to Boost Productivity and Increase Concentration
- 5 Ways Your Wasting Too Much Time + (200 Productive Things to Do Instead!))
(2) Start a Morning Routine
Have a cup of coffee and make a healthy breakfast for you and babe while you listen to some baby or toddler friendly tunes.
Starting your day should be nothing but short of bliss, so make time for you and your little one while getting off to a good start.
As you’ve probably already noticed, babies are also big fans of routine, so you’ll be sure to benefit throughout the rest of your day too!
At two years old, M and I established a very consistent routine.
When she wakes up for the day, she goes to the potty and then knows that its time for “coffee and alphabet”.
I prep coffee for J and I while she plays with these magnets and recites the alphabet.
She sticks them back and forth between the fridge and dishwasher and occasionally, we’ll add a muffin pan to the mix – an amazing toddler activity that will keep her entertained for up to an hour!
While she’s busy with her magnets, I also have time to check my email and blog stats while I wait for that java goodness to brew.
My productive mom morning routine allows me to accomplish three small tasks at the start of every single day and it gets me excited to conquer everything else ahead!
Action:
- Visualize your ideal morning and make an effort to bring it to reality
(3) Plan Around the Necessities
This is one of the most important tips for new moms with newborn babies!
Whether using the notepad on your phone or keeping it old school with a pen and paper, write down your non-negotiables so you can organize your day accordingly.
If you have a doctor’s appointment, pre-school drop off, or a meeting with your mortgage specialist, write it down!
Seeing what you need to work around is the easiest way to figure out your best method of attack and, if you’re feeling ambitious, whether or not you have time to add any extras!
Action:
- Open your notepad of choice and jot down those appointments and obligations
(4) Invest in an Agenda
This is an absolute must for me and one of my favourite productivity tips for moms!
While I know plenty of people who swear by their phone and iCal, I still feel that there’s nothing like flipping through a good agenda (this one’s PERFECT for moms!) and filling in special dates, plans, and activities – having those goals displayed somewhere obvious also makes them feel more attainable.
Even better than that? Crossing off everything you accomplished!
So much more rewarding that deleting a line in your notes app, haha!
The absolute best agendas are those that include monthly and/or weekly overviews.
My last agenda had fun stickers for appointments and other events, in addition to space for to and shopping lists.
The weekly section of the agenda allowed me to be even more detailed in my goals, a feature that will set you apart from merely noting ideas to turning them into a reality; if you can visualize it and have a clear path, there is no stopping you, mama!
You can view the tools I use for staying organized and growing my business on the blog.
Action:
- Set a budget and find a planner that fits your style and personality
- Flip through and start filling in special occasions, anniversaries, birthdays, and other events you are looking forward to before getting into the nitty gritty
(5) Wake Up Early
Waking up early might not sound glamorous or fun – especially when you have little ones who already keep you on your toes all day long!
But those quiet morning hours?
There’s nothing like them to completely change the rhythm of your day.
Aim for two or more hours prior to when your kids wake up and do things that make your feel accomplished before the day’s even begun.
There is something powerful about having even 60 minutes that belong only to you.
Whether it’s working on your blog, growing your business, reading your Bible, exercising, planning your homeschool day, playing guitar, or simply drinking coffee while it’s still hot – early mornings create space that often doesn’t exist (or gets overlooked) later on.
I start my mornings with coffee and Bible time and make sure the coffees ready to go when I open my eyes.
I have this coffee pot and set the timer to start brewing 15 minutes before I wake up.
Then instead of waiting, I just take my cup and go write to reading my Bible before starting my work day.
It’s kind of crazy to think that I used to be a night owl – but after long nights of staying up to work and early morning wake ups with the kids, I knew something had to change.
So I forced myself to become a morning person and kept pulling the alarm on my clock back until the kids didn’t wake up at the same time I did any longer.
At the beginning, me waking up at 6am meant they did too so I experimented with 15 minute increments before I arrived at 4:45am.
Since we live in a split level home, they’d hear my alarm and start their days at the same time as I did before this.
I think they’re deep enough in sleep that it doesn’t wake them at this point, haha.
For you, it might be later depending on your situation – we go to bed before 9pm most days, haha.
When I started waking up earlier, I noticed something shift.
Instead of feeling behind all day, I felt ahead because I actually got things done first thing – and even had a bit of quiet time to myself.
Instead of reacting to everything, I had already moved the needle on something important to me.
It doesn’t have to be 4:30 a.m.
It doesn’t even have to be every single day!
But having protected, quiet time before your kids wake up can help you:
- Focus on your goals without interruptions
- Tackle your most important tasks first
- Feel accomplished before 8 a.m.
- Start the day calm instead of chaotic
- Go through your day without feeling sleep deprived
And the best part? You don’t have to sacrifice your evenings anymore if you don’t want to.
Early mornings aren’t about hustling.
They’re about creating breathing room.
Action:
- Choose one small priority for your mornings – blogging, prayer, exercise, planning, or even just quiet coffee time
- Aim to wake up 15 to 30 minutes earlier than usual and build gradually.
- Go to bed a little earlier so you’re not running on fumes
Those quiet hours can become the anchor that holds your whole day together.
And you deserve that head start, mama!
Related Ideas for Moms:
- Blogging for Moms Made SIMPLE: How to Work from Home as a Mommy Blogger
- 25 Legit SAHM Jobs You Can Start Right Now
- 30 Questions to Get to Know Yourself Better (Moms Should Ask #1 Daily!)
(6) Make Time for Your Significant Other
Spending time with your partner can be such a challenge with a new baby – but making time for one another is so important!
My husband works in the film industry and often does long hours (I’m talking about 12 to 20 hours a day on average). It felt nearly impossible for us to have any quality time together with our new baby.
There were consecutive days where I actually didn’t even seen him!
Children, work, and other obligations can take a strain on your partnership from time to time, and as my mother puts it, we often go “in and out of our relationships”.
However, in order to try and combat this phenomenon, make the conscious effort to put down the phone or tablet, drop the laundry basket, and give your partner some attention.
Take a few minutes every day to remember why you fell in love with this person and focus on them alone.
Your romantic life and appreciation of one another will thank you for it later.
Action:
- Think of three reasons why you appreciate / love / or admire your partner and tell them today
(7) Schedule One or Two Major Activities for Your Day
While not always possible, planning around one or two major tasks a day is an effective way to reduce mommy guilt while placing checkmarks on your to do list.
I’ve often made the mistake of trying to get too much done in one day and then finished it by beating myself up if accomplished absolutely nothing!
Sick kids and fussy babies will throw you a curve ball from time to time and having the option to move one or two non-necessities is far easier than a dozen.
Doing a return at a department store, installing a second shelf in your hallway closet, and grocery shopping for this week’s meals can wait if you haven’t saved them for the last moment.
Have a blog of your own?
Check out this list of 30 daily blogging tasks you can do in under 30 minutes for ideas on how to plan your work day.
Action:
- Write down one or two daily tasks for each day of the week
- Group together related to do’s (i.e. do that return the same day you are out grocery shopping to save time and effort)
(8) Include Your Kids in Daily Tasks
Put your little one in her highchair and fold laundry at the kitchen table while you two babble together.
Baby wear while you do an inventory of your fridge.
The options for including your littles in day to day responsibilities are endless!
When she was a year old, I could even get between half to one hour of work time in while M played with her favourite toys (we only recommend the toys in this list because everything else seemed to keep her busy for an hour and then end up being donated later on).
Now, at two years old, we do chores together and I exclusively work in the evenings and during nap time!
If you have older children, tell them what you’re up to and let them give you advice on how best to accomplish the task at hand – their creative thinking may even pleasantly surprise you.
Even more fun (and something my mom used to do when we were kids) is to turn household work into a game – specifically, for older children! This is actually one of the greatest productivity tips for moms / parenting hacks ever!
Create a score card with different chores and assign point values based on the difficulty of the task.
Be sure to include some activities your kids will enjoy though; for example: unload the dishwasher (3 points), read a book for 30 minutes (1 point), vacuum the hallway (2 points).
You could even reward your babes with a small prize at the end of the month, just like my mom did… thanks, mom!!
Inexpensive finds at Dollar Tree or an inexpensive plush toy might be one idea.
Action:
- Think of creative ways you can get your littles involved in work around home
More ways to keep young kids entertained:
- 50 Toddler Activities to Keep Kids Engaged – Indoors and Outdoors!
- Preschool Alphabet Worksheets (Teach Your Little One A to Z)
- 26 Free Toddler Coloring Pages: Downloadable ABC’s Sheets
- Free Preschool Math Worksheets: For the Number 1 through 10
- Fun Alphabet Activities for Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Kindergarten
(9) Say “Yes” Only When You Mean It
We’ve all been there – family drop ins during an already busy weekend, work calling to see if you can cover someone’s shift… things like this can add a lot of stress to an already busy mom’s day!
You’ll always know in your heart whether or not you truly want to do something.
As uncomfortable as it may be, listen to your inner mom boss and say “no” if it doesn’t feel right – it’ll help you avoid burnout and get more done!
You’ll also save your time, learn to prioritize, and feel empowered when you do!
Action:
- Plan for the week and month ahead and don’t look back
- If it doesn’t work with your schedule, and you have no desire to fit it in, say “no”!
Final Thoughts on Productivity Tips for Busy Moms
How do you make the most out of your day? Which of these productivity tips for moms did you need?
Leave your plan in the comments below.
Wishing you a successful day, friend!
– Nikki
