Last Updated on January 28, 2024 by alli
A mother’s typical day is challenging, but by making some changes to the way we do things, our days can run a lot smoother. Here are my 11 tips for mums to reduce daily stress. I follow all of these and I promise you they work!
1. Live by structure and routine
Yes, it sounds boring. But living by a good daily routine comes with so many benefits. It will help you reduce your stress, be better organised and control of your day. After all, as the saying goes – ‘Either you run your day, or your day runs you’.
A good routine helps everyone in the family know what’s expected of them and what’s coming next. Families that follow a set morning routine are more likely to be ready and out the door on time than families that wing it each morning.
Morning checklist for little girls
If you have a little girl that could use some help with getting ready on time in the morning, I encourage you to share this morning routine with her. You can download it for free and there are three versions to choose from. One with picture prompts for younger kids, one with text for older kids, and one you can customise.
If your kids don’t currently have a set daily after-school routine, I highly recommend you set one up. You’ll be amazed at how much smoother things will run. Everyone will understand their role and know what’s happening next.
An example of a good after-school routine may look something like this-
The kids will-
- Arrive home from school, go to the toilet and wash their hands
- Have a healthy afternoon snack
- Unpack their school bags (lunchbox, water bottle, and homework)
- Complete homework
- Have free time until dinner
- Set the table for dinner
- Have a bath or shower and brush their teeth
- Read for 20 minutes
- Free time until bedtime
2. Keep a weekly schedule
Keeping a weekly schedule is just as important as living by structure and routine. It will give you the peace of mind that you won’t forget anything!
Not following a schedule is where even a mum with the best intentions can come undone. There is so much to remember each week, from the kid’s school schedules, after-school activities, medical appointments, and work and family commitments.
It’s impossible to do this without an accurate and up-to-date schedule or planner. If you don’t have one, I have a free, instant downloadable planner you can start today!
3. Have meals planned out for the whole week
One of my favourite quotes is “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”
A super easy way to take the stress out of your evenings is to know what you’ll be cooking for dinner each night, and have all your ingredients available.
This can be easily done with a meal planner. All you need to do is make some time (preferably over a weekend) to decide what you’ll be cooking for the week ahead. You then write down all the ingredients you’ll need. Any ingredients you don’t have, you go out and buy before the start of the week. Make sure you print your weekly meal planner out and keep it somewhere handy so you can refer to it throughout the week.
It really will take the stress out of your evenings. If you would like to start using a dinner planner, you can try our free, downloadable one. It’s super easy to use!
4. Make lunches the night before
Mornings are busy enough without also having to make school lunches. All lunches (including your own if you work outside of the home), should be made the evening before. A great time to do this is straight after dinner before the dishes are washed.
If your kids aren’t too young, you can teach and encourage them to make their own lunch. Remember to use any leftovers you may have from dinner if possible. Once the lunches are made, put everything into the lunchboxes (including snacks) and place them in the fridge overnight. This also includes water bottles.
5. Have the kids bath or shower in the evenings
Bath time can be time-consuming and stressful when it comes to kids. All time-consuming tasks should be done in the evenings as there is no time for them in the mornings!
Making bath time more enticing for kids that hate them can be difficult, but not impossible.
If your child is still little and taking baths, you can allow her to play with some favourite water toys during her bath. Including bubbles is always a hit too.
For older children who are having showers, playing some music always makes having a shower more fun. But limit it to 3 songs max or they’ll be in there for the whole album!
I encourage you to also read another helpful post I wrote about “How to get your daughter to do what you ask” because achieving this will also reduce a lot of stress… and don’t we know it!
6. Make quick and easy breakfasts each morning
Unless you have plenty of free time in the mornings and you love preparing elaborate breakfasts, it’s wise to stick to quick and simple breakfasts for yourself and the family.
Making fluffy pancakes and homemade scones can be left for the weekend when time is not of the essence.
The best and simple weekday breakfasts are things like –
- Yoghurt with mixed berries
- Banana or strawberry smoothies
- Scrambled eggs on toast
- Pre-made muffins (blueberry and banana muffins are my favourite)!
- Cereal (that’s low in sugar)
- Toast (my daughter loves vegemite and avocado on toast)
7. Be the first one up in the morning
If possible, try to be the first one up in the morning. There is nothing better than having some quiet time to yourself to concentrate on just YOU.
You’ll be able to enjoy a refreshing shower, get dressed, put makeup on, and have your first-morning coffee UNINTERRUPTED!
My mornings always start off well if I have myself completely ready for the day before it’s time for my daughter to get up.
8. Give your kids some responsibility at a young age
Here is a fact. The earlier you give your kids some age-appropriate chores and responsibilities, the less stressful your days will become.
There are so many simple and safe tasks children can do themselves that will free up some of your time.
Most children aged five years and over can do the following list of jobs –
- Tidy their room up after playing with toys
- Place dirty clothes in the laundry hamper
- Put shoes away in the appropriate place
- Set the dinner table in the evenings
- Empty the indoor recycling bin when full
- Take out the general waste bin when full
- Clean out their lunchbox at the end of each school day
- Feed and give water to any family pets
- Fold laundry
- Put clean laundry away in their proper draws
- Help put groceries away
- Make (or help to make) their school lunch
- Help prepare for dinner
- Pack school bag (including lunchbox, water bottle, homework, hat, library book)
How much of the above are you still doing for your primary school-aged children?
To make the jobs more enticing, you can offer a reward for a good job done. For example, you can reward them with some extra screen time or, even better, some weekly pocket money (or an allowance).
Pocket Money Contract
Here’s a cute pocket money contract for you to use with your daughter. It’s a great way to keep her accountable and it clearly sends a message that she will need to earn her pocket money. Be sure to fill the form in with her, and make sure it’s kept somewhere easy to access. You will need to pull it out from time to time to remind her of her responsibilities!
9. Organise uniforms and work outfits the night before
This is something I have always done, well before I became a mum! In the evening I look at the weather forecast for the next day and plan my outfit.
The last thing you want to do is waste precious time in the morning staring at your wardrobe trying to decide what to wear.
Iron everything that needs ironing and have your outfit planned out right down to your shoes and handbag the night before. You’ll actually sleep better knowing that this is done!
Just as importantly, check that all the kid’s uniforms or outfits are ready to go for the next day.
10. Pack all bags the night before
Apart from food and drink, no items should be packed in the morning. Everything should be organised and packed the evening before. This includes both the kid’s school bags and mum’s work bags.
When you have the occasional school event, such as a swimming carnival, you don’t want to waste precious time looking for swimming goggles in the morning!
11. Schedule some time for Self-Care
I’ve kept this one for last because it’s an important one!
You’ve probably heard the saying – “You can’t pour from an empty cup” This means, for a mum to take proper care of her family, she must first take proper care of herself!
There should always be some time scheduled for self-care no matter how busy your weekly schedule is. To help you plan and stay committed to taking good care of your well-being and health, I have put together a Self-care pack. I hope you download it and start using it because you deserve it!
So, now you know my 11 tips for mums to reduce unnecessary daily stress. How many of these are you already doing?
For more tips, advice and free resources, don’t forget to subscribe to Little Girl Shining. You’ll be joining a group of mums with one important thing in common… we all have little girls! x