Take it from me—being a full-time mom and working full-time is no walk in the park. Growing up, my mom stayed home with three kids while my dad worked, so while I learned a lot from her, juggling both career and motherhood? That was uncharted territory for me.
Over the past six years as a working mom, I’ve stumbled upon some strategies that have seriously helped me reclaim my time and keep our weeks running (mostly) chaos-free. And trust me, if you try them for a week, you might find your Monday-Friday feeling a whole lot smoother too!
Now, I’d love to hear from you! How do you balance the work/family life? Let’s share tips and help each other out—because we’re all in this together!
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Follow these simple steps for Chaos Free Weeks!
1. Dinner Plans
This doesn’t have to be difficult. Take 10-20 minutes each Sunday (I usually do this while I drink my morning coffee) to decide what the family will eat each night for dinner.
2. Shopping
Groceries, household needs, the supplies your kid needs for that science project, snack for girl scouts, etc. The less you have to stop on your way home from work each night, the faster you’ll actually get home!
3. Dinner Prep
We have ALL heard of meal prep and many of us do it in a variety of different ways. This doesn’t have to be hours and hours of precooking and freezing all of your food. When I think of weekly dinner prep, I think of the things that are most time consuming during the week.
I like to chop and separate all of my fresh fruits and veggies on Sundays. This way, I have baggies or containers of veggies ready to go for whatever meals I need to add them into and I have fruit cleaned, cut, and ready to eat! Depending on what is on the menu that week, I may also go ahead and cook my proteins. It is so much easier to make shredded bbq chicken sandwiches on a Tuesday night if the chicken is already cooked and shredded!
Check out this post all about How to Meal Prep for Busy Moms!
4. Laundry/Outfit Choices
I HATE laundry. I typically do whatever I can to avoid it. So, regardless of that, I try to have laundry MOSTLY done by Sunday (a couple loads Friday night and a little bit Saturday) and then on Sundays I like to plan outfits for the week. If I don’t have to think about what I am wearing in the morning, it is one less thing on my mind each night. Also, I have a 6 year old boy who is NOT exactly in any hurry ever (are any kids that age quick when it’s time to go?) so having outfits ready is a big help! I have a hanging shelf organizer in his closet with 5 shelfs which I stack outfits for each day on. This makes mornings much more seamless.
Stay Productive with one of the Best Planners for Moms
5. Cleaning/Tidying
Most of you probably do this anyway, but weekends are the perfect time to set the tone for the coming week. The less clutter you have lying around at home, the less clutter you’ll feel weighing on you. When I come home from work in the evening to a messy/undone house, it doesn’t feel like my “haven” as it should. I typically set down my purse and briefcase and immediately start folding blankets and picking up dirty cups. If you make a point to spend a few hours organizing each Sunday, (and 10 or so minutes each night before bed) your week will feel much calmer!
Check out these house cleaning tips from professional cleaners!
6. Catch up on Social E-mails/Phone Calls
When you’re a working mom, weeks always seem more packed than we can possibly find time for. In the evenings, I feel like I hardly have time to cook dinner, eat, and clean up before it’s immediately time to get my little one doing homework. From there, it’s straight to the shower and bed by 8:30. I get up VERY early so I try to end my own night by 9:30. Handling any kind of business with a hectic schedule like this tends to seem impossible so I find it best to do what can be done on Sundays!
7. Relax with family
This is the most important one of all. I try to have all of my Sunday tasks completed before dinner time. This allows us to eat dinner, clean up, and have the rest of our evening together as a family. Not only is this so important for us to have time together but just relaxing with a movie, all together in the living room, really helps us to wind down from busy weekends and prepare for our week ahead. This lets us clear our minds of clutter, fill our hearts with love and togetherness, and energize ourselves for another week!
Wrapping up Chaos Free Weeks
Pre-planning for my weeks and accomplishing anything I can in advance of Monday has always been very helpful to me. I hate the feeling of being stressed and I know firsthand how harmful it can be on our bodies. When I know exactly how my week will look (or at least how it is supposed to look as of Sunday night) I am able to mentally prepare and be the best mom, girlfriend, and employee possible!
For even more info on this topic, this article from Parents.com is exceptional in answering any questions you may have!!
Always remember: Mama’s can do anything, but not everything.
Farah Zeb is a mother of five, including two children with special needs. She shares practical parenting tips and resources to help other families navigate daily challenges and create supportive, nurturing environments.
