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It’s always kind of fun to read about another moms daily routine. Especially now that I have three kids, one of whom is now school age, and two still in diapers (hopefully not for much longer though).

Daily life is super busy and I actually don’t have much to compare my daily routine to in my personal life. Raising three kids four years old and under makes me the odd man out in our family and friends circle. Both Josh and I have siblings much younger than us so our parents never experienced having kids so close in age. And in our circle of friends, we’re almost always the ones with the most children.

So to learn about how moms of three close in age run their daily lives I usually turn to the interwebs. There’s just something fascinating about the daily routine of moms. We’re doing THE. Most. Important. Work. Raising solid people to send out into the world. But a lot of our daily tasks, when viewed from the outside, are very menial. Laundry, dishes, wiping a toddlers rear-end…it’s the stay at home mom life.

Since starting school, our daily routine has become much more structured. It had to. I knew if I wanted to get one on one time with Squeaks certain things had to get done, certain tasks had to be accomplished first, and everything had to line up just right to ensure the boys nap at the same time. Really it’s been very satisfying to see it working out and I’m excited to say it’s also made things easier for the kids. They know what to expect and when to expect it.

Disclaimer: My hope in sharing our daily routine is to offer insight and maybe an idea or two. It is NOT to stress you out or tell you this is how you should run your day. Every household is different, every kid is different, every mom is different. This is just what works for us. And even then, it’s flexible. I use our routine as a guide not a rule. So, deep breath, here we go.

Our Daily Routine

6:00-6:30am The kids wake up.

Josh usually gets up with them and lets me get a little extra rest until 7:00am when he needs to start getting ready for work. Yes, the man is a saint. I get up with Flash multiple times a night still. Josh handles the older two on the rare occasion they wake up in the middle of the night. I’ve got the boobs though, so currently, Flash is very vocal about only wanting me at night.

7:00-7:45am Morning prep.

Josh gets ready for work. I nurse Flash, pack Josh’s lunch, make our morning smoothies, and prep the kids breakfast.

The kids usually hang out with Josh while he’s getting ready. I love being in the kitchen and hearing their morning conversations. Daddy lets them take turns blow drying his hair (they think the blow dryer is amazing) and then they each get the task of handing him his belt or tie clip. Again, the man is a saint. Best Daddy ever.

This is also when I quickly make beds. I like my bed made every day. It’s that one task that helps me feel ready. The kids beds don’t always get made. Just depends on my mood.

7:45am We say goodbye to Daddy.

Our goodbye routine has grown longer over the years. Each kid wants different things before they’re willing to part with Daddy for the day. They each hand him his lunch box and smoothie (he takes his to go), and give kisses and hugs. Then before Daddy is allowed to get in his car, he MUST stop outside the living room window to make silly faces at each kid. I often wonder what the neighbors think of this part of our routine. Ha!

8:00-8:30am Breakfast for me and the kids.

Pretty self explanatory. I also try to get a load of laundry started before I eat.

8:30-9:00am Get dressed/ready for the day.

I usually shower at night so our morning routine is simple. Brush teeth, minimal makeup, mom bun, jeans and t-shirt. My usual uniform if we don’t have other plans for the day. Squeaks has recently started picking out her clothes, getting dressed, and brushing her hair all on her own. It’s been amazing. And she’s super proud of herself. Stick Flash in a onesie, put some clean clothes on Little Dude, and brush down any bed-head. Or don’t. Sometimes the bed-head is too cute to brush down. 😉

9:00-9:30am Morning basket time.

9:30-10:00am Morning snack.

Lately the kids like apple slices. I try to keep morning snack light and super healthy. This is also when I transfer the laundry to the dryer. Yes, that has to be scheduled or I forget about it. Can you say “stinky laundry”?

10:00-11:15am Play Time.

The kids have independent play time while I check email, do a bit of Etsy or blog related work, or housework. Sometimes if it’s gonna be a hot day, I send them outside at this time so we’ll be indoors during the hotter part of the day. Flash happily follows big brother and sister from room to room now and plays very well independently.

11:15-11:30am Clean up.

I give them each a small area to pick up the toys they’ve been playing with. One gets the toy basket in the living room while the other gets the legos cleaned up. That kinda thing. Just tidy a bit before lunch.

11:30-12:00pm Lunch time.

Depending on how early they woke up that morning this may happen sooner so that nap is a bit earlier. We’re on a ham and cheese kick lately with some fruit and crackers.

12:00-2:15pm Nap time!!!

Nap is KING in a house with three littles. Nap MUST happen or the rest of the day is filled with whining (and the kids aren’t happy either 😉 )

Since Squeaks just started school we have been using her brother’s nap times to get a few things done that require more focused attention. Usually math and phonics. We are using Bob books to help Squeaks learn to read, and I’ve got to say, I’m super happy with how it’s going. These books are so cute, and Squeaks loves being able to color them in when we finish one. The flashcards are simple and the additional online resources are great reinforcement.

I’m going to be honest and tell you the end time of 2:15pm is kind of a hopes-and-dreams deal. The boys rarely sleep that long. But a mama can hope. When/if they wake up earlier they can play while we finish up or we can read together.

2:15-2:30pm Afternoon snack.

Lately the favorites are applesauce pouches and fruit leather from Trader Joe’s, or maybe some peanut butter crackers.

2:30-4:30pm Play time.

I send the older two kids outside if it’s not too hot or cold. I usually leave the back door open with a baby gate up to keep Flash in the kitchen with me. Our backyard is fairly small so it’s very easy to see them play from our large kitchen window and sliding glass doors. This is when I get dishes done, pay some bills, or fold laundry on the kitchen table.

If the kids stay in, I have a little more freedom to clean the rest of the house while they play in their rooms or the living room. Either way, this time is for them to play and for me to do my chores (while refereeing the occasional sibling arguments).

4:30-5:30pm Screen time.

If they are still playing nicely when 4:30 comes around obviously I’m not going to stop them and tell them to come watch tv. But if everyone is ready for a little down time, I let them pick a show.

We haven’t had traditional tv for about six years now. We have a Roku with Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. It’s so much easier and cheaper. So my kids can pick a show and watch it commercial free! Lately the favorites are Wild Kratts, Umizoomi, or Octonauts. I try to steer them toward educational shows but we love our Pixar and Disney movies too. Monsters Inc., Incredibles, and Alice In Wonderland are top picks.

While they watch a show, I start dinner. Every once in a while they ask to help with dinner prep, and I try to say yes as often as possible. In the future I’d like to help them learn to cook some of our weekly staples. Good for them, and a nice break for me!

5:30pm Daddy’s home!!!

The kids hang out with Daddy while I finish up dinner.

5:30-6:15pm Dinner time.

We make it a point to eat at the table together. The kids are pretty good eaters as far as variety of food they’ll try, but getting them to eat more than two bites is still something we’re working on. After asking me for 50million snacks every day, you’d think by dinner they’d eat everything!! Kids.

6:15-6:45pm Bath time.

We rotate so one kid gets a bath each night, unless one of them got crazy dirty that day, then we might combine. Sometimes, if no one is too stinky, I take a shower, but usually my showers are after the kids are in bed.

6:45-7:15pm Relax and calm down for bed.

We brush teeth, put on jammies, and maybe watch a little show.

7:15pm Kids bed time.

Josh takes the older two to read stories, sing a few songs, and pray, while I nurse Flash to sleep in his room.

8:00pm All kids are asleep!

Josh and I collapse on the couch. Lol! This is our time together. Even if we choose separate activities (ex: I blog while he watches UFC) we’re still in the same room. We’re at a season in life where rest is hard to come by so we’re pretty big couch potatoes at night, but frankly, that’s ok with me right now. Someday the kids will be older and Josh and I can go out at night, or we can stay out later as a family, but right now this is how it is.

Our days are very busy. This routine is best case scenario when we’re home. And these are just the nuts and bolts of our day. Things still get mixed in, thrown off, or rearranged. Play dates, library visits, time at Grandparent’s houses, park visits, and other outings are mixed throughout our week too. And so are diaper blow outs, tantrums, booboos, arguments, spills, mistakes, and life lessons. Our routine changes frequently, but one thing always stays the same. We are together and we love to be together. We wouldn’t change a thing.

Well…more sleep….more sleep would be nice. 😉