SAHM Schedule for newborn and toddler

The best stay at home mom schedule for a newborn and toddler

Daily Routine for the Stay at Home Mom of two

The stay at home mom job is not easy. It is exhausting and not something you can just clock out from. Having a break may mean 5 minutes of “locking” yourself in the bathroom or the short amount of alone time you get after the kids are in bed. The days are long yet the weeks fly by.

Now it does not have to be this way. Of course motherhood will never be a walk in the park but you CAN make your days easier! The answer is a great schedule.

Schedules are everything once you have kids. You may not even realize it but I bet your newborn and toddler have already created a schedule of their own.

Now don’t get me wrong my house is no where near perfect and it is not uncommon to find a crying baby, a toddler halfway through the toy bin while dinner is being thrown together and the dog is barking at nothing out the window.

My life is chaos at times (okay a lot of the time) but having a schedule gets me through the day.

I hope you find the daily routine that has worked for my family helpful even in the slightest bit.

There is no how to book on motherhood so the best we can do is share with each other!

RELATED: How to survive the first two weeks with a newborn and toddler

Please know that I am not a doctor and the information I will be providing is based solely on my experience. If you have an concerns or questions about your newborn or toddler talk with their doctor.

So what is a good schedule for a stay at home mom?

There is not one schedule that fits all so I will walk you through exactly how to create the prefect schedule for your family.

Alright lets jump right in and figure out the best stay at home mom schedule for you!

If you are simply looking for a schedule template you can scroll on down this page.

The first thing you should do is establish a Morning and Bedtime Routine.

Morning Routine

Figure out what you would like to include in this routine for both you and your children. It is so important to start the day off on a good note so pick what is necessary as well as a thing or two that will kick off your day right.

Some great options to include in a morning routine for mom:

  • Get dressed
  • Brush teeth
  • Wash face
  • Shower
  • Eat breakfast
  • Drink coffee or tea

For baby and toddler:

  • Get dressed
  • Brush teeth
  • Eat Breakfast
  • Play

Once you decide on a morning routine you can then figure out what time you and your kids should be up for the day. Even if you do not have anywhere to be I highly recommend having a set wake up time to keep the schedule consistent.

However, if your are one of the lucky ones and your baby and toddler lets you sleep in definitely go for it!

Bedtime Routine

The bedtime routine helps smoothe the transition to bed for your newborn and toddler. It will send them a signal that it is almost time to go to sleep. This is also a great way to wind down the day.

RELATED: An easy guide to sleep training your baby

Here are some good options to include in your bedtime routine:

  • Bath
  • Pajamas
  • Story Time
  • Music/Singing
  • Brushing Teeth
  • Prayers
  • Saying Goodnight

Once you have come up with the best night time routine jot down about how long you’d think it will take.

To finish the bedtime routine you then have to decide WHEN bedtime will be.

Toddlers need around 11-14 hours of sleep total in a 24-hour period and newborns need 12-15 hours.

For example, your wake up time for baby is 7am and their bedtime is 7:00pm.

Do not stress too much about the right bedtime just yet. Once you figure out the schedule in its entirety you will see how it all fits together. Furthermore, you can always readjust the schedule if needed.

Now that you have the biggest pieces to the puzzle figured out, it is time to plan the remainder of the day.

How to structure your day with a newborn and toddler?

There are essentially 3 different things your baby and toddler will be doing during the day. They will either be napping, playing (awake time) or eating.

Nap Time

As mentioned earlier, babies need 12-15 hours of sleep per a 24-hour period and toddlers need around 11-14 hours. If your baby sleeps 12 hours at night then they can get around 3 hours of nap time.

Same goes for your toddler.

Your newborn will start by taking 3 or more naps per day and eventually move to 2 naps.

Toddlers switch to one nap per day around the 18-24 month mark.

Now this is not going to be the case for everyone so do not get discouraged if your baby or toddler isn’t taking the average amount of naps.

Remember it is just an average!

Feeding

Newborns begin by eating every 2-3 hours or less and gradually increasing as they get older.

Additionally, once they hit 4-6 months solids can be introduced.

By the time your little one reaches the toddler stage they should be on a 3 meals per day schedule with 2 snacks in between.

Play Time or Awake Time

The older your little one is the more awake time they will have. Once you factor in your child’s nap schedule and feeding schedule you will know when they will be awake.

Awake time is important for newborns because this is where they will do tummy time to strengthen their muscles and reduce the risk for a flat spot.

For your toddler it is time for them to work on a variety of developmental skills such as motor and social skills.

Newborn and Toddler Schedule Templates

Now that we have all the components for a stay at home mom schedule with a newborn and toddler we can put it all together to see what the schedule will actually look like!

I have created 4 schedules that will work for the stay at home mom with an infant and toddler. Each schedule is based on the age of your baby.

The Toddler schedule does not change, however, it is there to show how it intertwines with your baby’s schedule.

Newborn Schedule: 0-3 months

This schedule is definitely the trickiest because every baby is different and not every day is going to look the same. The best rule of thumb for a 0-3 month old is that they eat every 2-3 hours and their awake time should not surpass 60-90 minutes (however you can add more time as they get older).

Also note that a newborn will take a lot of naps during the day but their longest stretches of sleep should be at night.

Newborn (0-3 months)Toddler (1-3 years)
7:00amWake & FeedWake
8:00amPlayBreakfast
9:00amFeed & NapPlay
10:00amSnack
11:00amWake & FeedPlay
12:00pmPlayLunch
1:00pmFeed & NapNap
3:00pmWake & Snack
4:00pmWake & FeedPlay
5:00pm Play
5:30pmDinner
6:30pmCluster Feed
7:00pmBedBedtime Routine
7:30pmBed

Newborn Schedule: 4-6 months

The 4-6 month old schedule is really when you can stick to a good solid schedule. Hopefully you are able to get a good chunk of sleep at night and your little one is taking good naps.

4 months is that magical number where you can begin sleep training which comes in handy if you are hit with the 4-month sleep regression.

Newborn (4-6 months)Toddler (1-3 years)
7:00amWake & FeedWake
8:00amSolids Breakfast
9:00amNapPlay
10:00amWake & FeedSnack
11:00amPlayPlay
12:00pmNapLunch
1:00pmWake & FeedNap
2:00pmPlay
3:00pmNapWake & Snack
4:00pmWake & FeedPlay
5:00pm Play
6:00pmSolids Dinner
6:30pmBedtime Routine
7:00pmFeed & Bed
7:30pmBedtime Routine
8:00pmBed

Newborn Schedule: 6-9 months

At 6-9 months you will feel like you have it all down until you realize the awake time is getting longer and naps are getting shorter.

It may feel like you cannot get anything done these days.

Don’t worry though because you hopefully will get your nights back soon if not already.

Newborn (6-9 months)Toddler (1-3 years)
7:00amWake & FeedWake
8:00amSolids Breakfast
9:00amNapPlay
10:00amWake & FeedSnack
11:00amPlayPlay
12:00pmNapLunch
1:00pmWake & FeedNap
2:00pmPlay
3:00pmNapWake & Snack
4:00pmWake & FeedPlay
5:00pm Play
6:00pmSolidsDinner
6:30pmFeed & Bedtime Routine
7:00pmBedBedtime Routine
8:00pmBed

Newborn Schedule: 9-12 months

The last schedule is bittersweet because it is the months before the toddler years and your baby is no longer a baby anymore.

By 12 months your little one should be eating 3 meals with 2 snacks. Regardless if you are nursing or bottle feeding this can coincide with meals, by time or on demand feeding.

Newborn (9-12 months)Toddler (1-3 years)
7:00amWake & FeedWake
8:00amBreakfastBreakfast
9:00amPlayPlay
10:00amNapSnack
11:00amWake & Feed (or snack)Play
12:00pmLunchLunch
1:00pmPlayNap
2:00pmNap
3:00pmWake & Snack
3:30pmWake & Feed (or snack)Play
5:00pm Play
6:00pmDinnerDinner
6:30pmBedtime Routine
7:00pmBedBedtime Routine
8:00pmBed

These schedules are meant to help give you an idea of how you can structure your daily routine.

At the end of the day you really are just completing a pattern of eat, play, sleep and repeat.

This just changes as your newborn gets older. Whether it is dropping a nap or increasing awake time these schedules are easy to tweak for any family schedule.

Of course I did not go into exact detail on what to do during each part of the schedule because that all depends on your lifestyle.

You might choose to grocery shop during the first nap of the day or fold laundry during the second one. Play time might mean a play date with a friend or lunch could be at a sandwich shop down the road.

You definitely should add your own personal needs in there too! A happy mom is a better mom.

The best daily routine for a stay at home mom

There is no secret to creating the perfect schedule because there is no such thing as a perfect one. Your newborn and toddler grow and change everyday so the best thing you can do is adapt to their current needs.

Of course creating a good schedule will help make life much easier as a stay at home mom but don’t forget that motherhood is HARD.

And even though someone’s Instagram feed looks perfect that is not reality and only a small glimpse into their life.

So keep your head up mama because you are doing great!

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Daily Routine for the Stay at Home Mom of two

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