11 Tips for a Peaceful, Productive Morning Routine for Moms
Discover a simple, faith-based morning routine for moms that promotes peace, productivity, and purpose. Learn how to start your day with prayer, self-care, and intentional planning.
Becoming homeschoolers was quite a change for our daily schedule. We are not naturally early risers. Having the required time to drop my son off at school and pick him up added a natural flow to our daily routine.
Suddenly, we didn’t have a particular time to be anywhere. There was no required wake-up time. We could eat breakfast or get dressed whenever we wanted. Or not at all.
Now, I was behind all the time. It seemed like no matter how hard I worked, I could never do it all.
After some thought and research, I decided a new morning routine was the best way to get a head start on a productive day.
Just making these few small changes in my morning schedule makes a difference in my whole day.
As a homeschool mom, mornings can set the tone for the rest of the day. Whether you’re a seasoned morning person or someone who struggles to get out of bed, having a morning routine can transform the start of your day.
In this blog post, we’ll explore how to create an early morning routine–it’s one of my favorite homeschool tips to share. Your perfect morning routine is not only practical but also infused with faith.
Even if the rest of the day goes off the rails, you can begin each day with peace, productivity, and purpose.
Why Does a Morning Routine Matter?
When you’re a stay-at-home mom, your days look very different from someone who has dedicated work hours. Whether you’re homeschooling, running your own business from home, or running the household full-time, you need a routine that functions for you.
I am a firm believer that every mom needs a productive morning routine that meets her unique needs. There is no one-size-fits-all, effective morning routine that works for everyone.
But I also believe there is a perfect morning routine that works for each mom.
We all have the same amount of time in our days. The most important thing is to use it right. The morning hours are important for stay-at-home moms who are looking to have a better day.
The secret to creating a successful morning routine is to determine your priorities.
What matters to you?
The answer is different for each of us, and will often change depending on the season of life you’re currently in.
Other factors that change your morning routine might be:
- your husband’s work schedule
- a nursing baby
- the age of your kids
- daily activities your family is involved in
Take a minute to think about the most important things in your life.
- Do you want to get up with your husband when he leaves for work?
- Do you want to have extra time to yourself before the kids wake up?
- How much time do you need to take a shower or get dressed before you start the day?
- Are you a morning person who hops right out of bed? Or a night owl who can’t function until after 9:00 am?
Once you know exactly what you want to do, you can make the best morning routine that will work for you.
How to Create Your Perfect Mom Morning Routine
The best routine is one you can use on a good morning, a crazy morning, and everything in between. When you realize it’s time to start a new routine, there is a right way to go about it. Make the most of your precious time by doing a few little things every day.
1. Start small. Don’t try to overhaul your whole routine all at once. Instead, try adding one new habit a week until you figure out what works best for you. New habits take time, and you’ll need to build them slowly. Remember, the tortoise beats the hare every time!
2. Do what matters. Decide what you want to do in the morning, and do that. For instance, some people love a morning workout. It’s not for me, so I never do it. However, if exercise is something that matters to you, feel free to include it in your morning routine.
3. Be intentional. Setting a morning routine won’t happen by accident. It might take a couple of weeks, or even a little longer to get it just right. But successful people don’t give up when trying new things. Just keep at it until you figure out the perfect plan for you.
Once you know what is important to you, you can start to create your morning routine that leads to a great day more often than not. I have found that when I commit myself to following a few morning habits, my time management improves. My personal growth has increased, too!
Just a few new habits in a daily morning routine will set you up for success for the entire day.
11 Best Tips for a Good Morning Routine
While your morning routine will be different from mine, here are a few tips I’ve found that are helpful. Just making these little tweaks in my morning has made a huge difference in starting my days on the right foot!
Wake Up Before Your Kids
As someone who is not an early riser, getting up before my kids has been a struggle. Plus, I have a child who is 100% a morning person. He can ask me fifteen questions before my foggy morning brain has had time to process the first one.
I know that if I don’t get up before this child, my daily quiet time is shot. I have to make a conscious effort to wake up before him.
Getting up before your kids can be hard, especially if you have a child who doesn’t sleep through the night or one that sleeps with you. I encourage you to try it, though. You might find those few quiet minutes are just the balm your soul needs to start the day right.
Start with Prayer and Bible Reading
The Bible reminds us in Psalm 5:3: “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” The first thing to do when you wake up is to direct your thoughts and heart toward God.
Starting your day with prayer and Bible reading not only centers your mind but also sets a peaceful tone for the day ahead. This is your alone time with God—a time to seek His guidance, draw strength from His Word, and prepare your spirit for the tasks ahead.
You don’t need to spend hours; even 10-15 minutes of focused prayer and Scripture reading can make a world of difference.
If you’re looking for a passage to start with, consider reading Proverbs or Psalms, as these books are rich with wisdom and encouragement.
Plan Your Day with Purpose
Once you’ve nourished your body and spent time with the Lord, it’s a good time to focus on planning your day.
Take a few minutes to review your daily routine and set your priorities. Proverbs 16:3 reminds us, “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.”
By committing your plans to the Lord, you can approach the day with confidence, knowing that you are aligning your tasks with His will.
Consider using a planner or a simple to-do list to organize your day. Identify the most important tasks that need to be done, including homeschooling lessons, household chores, and any other responsibilities you have.
By having a clear plan, you’ll be able to stay on track and reduce the overwhelm that often comes with a busy mom’s schedule.
Related: Easy Cleaning Schedule for Busy Moms (+printable template)
Get Dressed for the Day
Wearing pajamas all day seems like the ultimate key to comfort. But I’ve learned the hard way that getting dressed is a vital part of my early morning routine!
Last summer I was “bumming around” the house when one of my dogs got out of the pen. I ran out to catch him and round him back inside. But before I could make it back to the house, the postman showed up with my mail.
I was caught outside in my pajamas. It was a humiliating moment I won’t soon forget.
I’m not saying you need to go all out and get dressed up every day. But taking the time to put on clean, comfortable clothes can make all the difference in your attitude and productivity.
Hydrate and Nourish Your Body
After spending time in prayer, it’s a great time to take care of your physical health. Drinking water first thing in the morning helps kickstart your metabolism and rehydrate your body after a night of rest.
Pair this with a light, healthy breakfast—something that will give you sustained energy without making you feel sluggish.
As a busy mom, it can be tempting to skip breakfast or just grab something on the go. However, nourishing your body with wholesome foods is an important part of your daily routine.
Remember, your physical health impacts your ability to be productive and present throughout the day.
Make the Bed
For some reason, a made bed instantly makes my house feel calmer, less chaotic, and tidier. It’s a small thing, but it makes such a big difference. Making your bed is a great way to to jumpstart your day!
Sometimes you see pictures of peaceful bedrooms, well-decorated with gorgeous coverlets, pulled back just so to display matching sheets underneath. The bed is topped with artfully arranged throw pillows arranged just so.
But your bed doesn’t need to look like that. You only need your sheets, comforter, and the pillows where you lay your head. If you struggle to make your bed every day, simplify it until it’s easy.
Put your pillows in place, tuck in the sheets, and pull the cover over the top. You’re on your way to a successful day already.
Eat the Frog
Not literally. Mark Twain once said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
In other words, if you do one hard thing in the morning, the day can only get better! For me, this means tackling some of my least favorite chores first.
For instance, I hate emptying the dishwasher. I don’t know why, since it only takes a few minutes. But I’m really bad to put it off and let dishes pile up on the counter, or in the sink.
Just a few minutes first thing in the morning takes care of that chore and makes the day so much smoother.
Now that I have older kids, emptying the dishwasher is one of their daily chores.
Starting a load of laundry is another great way to start your day off right. Laundry is a never-ending chore.
But if you start first thing in the morning, you’ll have time to complete a load from start to finish each day.
You’ll be able to stay on top of the laundry much more easily if you make it a priority each day. Incorporating part of your daily cleaning routine into your mommy morning routine will help you take control of your day from the start.
Start Your Day with an Attitude of Gratitude
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day busyness of life and forget just how blessed we are. Taking a few minutes at the beginning of your day to write in a gratitude journal will change your attitude.
You can also include your daily gratitude in your prayer time as you thank God for being good to you.
Thankfulness will help cultivate contentment in your heart. When you live a life of contentment, you’ll find that you have more peace and joy.
And that’s something to be grateful for! Try reading Bible verses about thankfulness to encourage your heart to find gratitude even in hard times.
Related: 30 Days to a Thankful Heart: Gratitude Challenge + Prompts for Moms
Write a Realistic To-Do List
I often feel optimistic at the start of a new day and feel like I can do anything. I sit down at my kitchen table and write out a long list of things I think I can accomplish.
But over time I’ve realized a simple list is better for several reasons. First, if your list is too long, there’s no way you can finish it.
You may start the day feeling optimistic. But you’ll end a long day feeling discouraged because you couldn’t complete what you needed.
Secondly, there are only so many hours in every day. It’s better to do a few things well than a lot of things poorly.
When your list is manageable, you’ll be able to accomplish it. Checking things off of your daily checklist is the best part of each day.
Seeing every task checked off gives you a true sense of accomplishment.
Be Flexible and Extend Grace
Finally, remember that no routine is perfect. There will be days when things don’t go as planned—when the kids wake up extra early, when unexpected tasks arise, or when you just don’t feel your best.
On those days, extend grace to yourself. Proverbs 19:21 reminds us, “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.” Trust that God is in control, and lean on Him for strength and guidance.
Being flexible with your morning routine allows you to adapt to the needs of your family without losing your peace. Each day is a new opportunity to grow, to learn, and to serve, and with God’s help, you can face whatever comes your way.
Bonus Tip: Create a Successful Evening Routine
The success of your routine for the next day depends on the routine you complete at night. You can set yourself up for a good morning by doing a bit of prep work the night before.
Think about all the things you need to do when you first wake up in the morning. Can you take the load off in the early mornings by completing some of your tasks the night before?
Here are a few ideas:
- lay out your clothes or workout clothes
- wash all the dirty dishes, or put them in the dishwasher
- clear all clutter from your counters
- fold any blankets and return them to their places
- put pillows back on the couches or chairs
- hang up clothes, or put them in the hamper
- get your coffee maker ready for the morning
- fill your water bottle so you can start hydrating first thing tomorrow
- make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep
When you take the time to complete a few small chores last thing before bed, you’ll be saving yourself a precious few minutes in the morning. It seems like a small thing, but it will add up over time.
My Relaxed Morning Routine
It took me a while to figure out exactly what I needed to include in my personal morning routine. I spent a lot of time reading what others considered a great morning routine. But none of them worked right for me.
When I started to consider my lifestyle, personal needs, and priorities, I was able to come up with the perfect routine that worked for me. Use this same process to create a new routine to create your perfect routine.
As a night owl, I don’t like to start early, but I make the most of the time I have to make the day work for me. Instead of doing things at an exact time, I’ve found that it’s easier to set a range of times for my routine. It works much better than assigning a particular time to every task.
7:00-7:30 am: Wake up, prep coffee, and set up for a morning quiet time
7:30-8:00 am: Daily devotions and prayer
8:00-9:00 am: Boys wake up, get dressed, do morning chores, etc
9:00 am: Begin our homeschool day
This is just a sample morning routine. Yours could look different.
For instance, if you have a baby who keeps you awake at all hours of the night, you might not jump out of bed at 7:00 am. If you have young children who are early risers, you might get up far earlier than me to have your personal alone time.
Our routines also look different during the school year than during summer. A good morning routine for moms is the one that works for you and is easily adaptable to your lifestyle.
Conclusion: Embrace Your Morning Routine
Creating a morning routine as a homeschool mom is about more than just ticking off tasks on a list. It’s about setting the tone for a day filled with peace, productivity, and purpose. Prioritize your time with God, care for your body, plan with intention, and embrace the tasks ahead with a grateful heart.
You can transform the start of your day into something truly meaningful a little bit at a time.
Remember, the key to a successful morning routine is consistency. Start small, be patient with yourself, and trust that God will bless your efforts as you seek to honor Him in every aspect of your daily routine.
More Planning and Routines for You
- Start your week off right with these Monday morning blessings and prayers for a happy week.
- Stay faithful to Bible reading and prayer with a free printable monthly Bible verse calendar.
- Develop healthy and happy daily routines for you and your kids with free printable daily routines.
- Save your sanity with a free printable kids’ chore chart!
