How to Make the Most of Your Time While the Kids Are at School

Because the goal isn't to get more done. It's to finally make a little room for you, too.

The kids are officially back in school, and if you're a stay-at-home mom, you probably know the feeling.

The house gets quiet.

You look around and realize there are approximately 47 things you could be doing.

Laundry. Cleaning. Grocery shopping. Appointments. Meal planning. That random closet you've been meaning to organize since 2022.

And before you know it, school pickup rolls around, and you've spent the entire day doing things for everyone else… again.

I don't think there's anything wrong with using the school day to get things done. In fact, having a few uninterrupted hours can make running a household SO much easier.

But I also think we need to stop believing that every minute our kids are at school has to be used being productive.

You are allowed to be on your own list.

So instead of creating a schedule that crams as many chores as possible into six hours, I want to create one that does two things:

Takes care of YOU and takes care of the life you're responsible for.

Because I think we can do both.

First: Take Care of the Person Running the House

Before we talk about laundry or meal prep, let's talk about you.

When everyone else leaves for the day, it is incredibly easy to immediately start cleaning.

Don't.

At least not every day.

Give yourself a little bit of your best energy before you give it to the house.

Move Your Body

This doesn't have to mean spending two hours at the gym.

Go for a walk. Lift weights. Take a class. Do a workout at home. Put on a podcast and walk around your neighborhood.

Exercise is one of those things that I know makes me feel better both mentally and physically, so I try to make it something I get to do, rather than something I'll squeeze in if everything else gets finished.

Because let's be serious—the housework is never actually finished.

Eat an Actual Meal

Moms, why are we like this?

We will pack lunches, fill water bottles, make breakfast, find everyone's missing shoes and send everyone out the door…and then realize at 11:30 that we've had an iced coffee and three bites of something we found in the fridge.

Make yourself breakfast.(Super easy breakfast recipe linked here if you're interested)

Get some protein.

Add fruit or vegetables. (Cowboy caviar is a great way to get in veggies)

Drink your water.

Make food that gives you energy for the rest of your day. (Lunch recipe everyone in the house will like, even YOU)

Taking care of your family includes taking care of the person doing so much of the caring.

Take Your Supplements and Do the Little Things That Help You Feel Good

If supplements are part of your wellness routine, make them part of your morning instead of something you remember at 4 p.m.

For me, these little habits work best when they're attached to something I'm already doing.

Make your morning drink. Take your supplements as directed. Fill your water bottle. Add chia seeds to something if you're trying to get more fiber. Whatever your personal routine looks like, make it easy enough that you can actually keep doing it.

Supplements aren't a replacement for eating well, moving your body, or sleeping—but they can be one piece of the wellness routine you've created for yourself. If you need some recommendations on what supplements are great to start your morning, check out our shop page.

Give Your Brain Five Quiet Minutes

You don't have to sit cross-legged in a perfectly silent room for 30 minutes to meditate.

Take five minutes.

Sit outside.

Pray.

Journal.

Breathe.

Drink your coffee without simultaneously unloading the dishwasher.

Sometimes I think we're so accustomed to noise that silence feels unproductive.

It isn't.

Give your brain a minute to exist without somebody needing something from you.

Now Let's Make the House Easier to Run

Here's where I think stay-at-home moms can accidentally make life harder.

We wake up every morning and ask:

What do I need to get done today?

Then we create another giant list.

Instead, I like the idea of giving certain days a job.

You aren't doing ALL the things every day.

You're doing today's thing.

Monday: Laundry + Reset

Monday is laundry day.

Gather it. Wash it. Fold it. Put it away.

Get everyone's clothes reset after the weekend and start the week knowing you're not going to be digging through the dryer looking for someone's soccer uniform on Wednesday night.

Do a quick house reset, too, but don't turn Monday into an eight-hour deep clean.

The goal is simply to get the house back in order after the weekend.

Tuesday: Grocery + Meal Prep

Tuesday is about making the rest of the week easier.

Plan a few simple dinners.

Order groceries or head to the store.

Wash your fruit.

Cut up vegetables.

Prep some protein.

Make grab-and-go snacks.

You don't have to spend four hours making identical containers of chicken and rice.

I think "meal prep" can simply mean doing today what will make tomorrow easier.

Even washing your strawberries when you bring them home counts.

Wednesday: Cleaning Day

This is the day to tackle the bathrooms, floors, dusting, and the things that need a little more attention.

Put on music.

Open the windows.

Light the candle.

Wear the cute cleaning gloves.

Yes, I am still fully committed to romanticizing the things we have to do anyway.

And then—stop cleaning.

Your house doesn't need to look like no one lives there.

Thursday: Errands + Life Admin

Appointments.

Returns.

Emails.

Bills.

Prescription pickups.

The random forms you've been ignoring.

All of those annoying little tasks that live in the back of your brain get Thursday.

Grouping errands together can also keep them from interrupting every other day of your week.

Friday: YOU Day

I really want Friday to feel different.

Obviously, there will still be things that need to be done, but try not to save your giant chore list for Friday.

Go to the gym.

Meet a friend for lunch.

Get coffee.

Read your book.

Walk around Target without speed-walking through it because someone has practice in 20 minutes.

Work on a hobby.

Sit outside.

Do something that reminds you that you're a whole person outside of being someone's mom.

And no, you don't need to spend money to have a "you day."

Take the long walk.

Make yourself a fancy lunch at home.

Read on the patio.

Call your friend.

The point isn't spending money.

The point is enjoying your own life. We refer to this practice of living as Living LYVLI

And Every Day, Do the Basics

There are obviously little things that will still happen every day.

Make the beds if that's important to you.

Load the dishwasher.

Wipe down the kitchen.

Pick up the main living areas.

But give yourself a limit.

I would rather spend 20–30 minutes doing a daily reset than accidentally turn every day into cleaning day.

Because here's the thing:

Your home is supposed to serve your life. Your life isn't supposed to be spent serving your home.

Your School Hours Don't Have to Become Another Job

I think a lot of moms feel guilty about this time.

If you're home while your spouse is working and your children are at school, it can feel like you need to have something to show for every hour.

A spotless house.

Dinner prepared.

Laundry folded.

Errands completed.

But being a good mom or partner isn't measured by how exhausted you are when everyone gets home.

Imagine what it would feel like if your kids walked through the door, and instead of already feeling depleted, you had energy left for them.

You exercised.

You ate.

You had a little quiet.

You got the important things done.

And you did something you enjoyed.

That's productive too.

Actually, I think that's the whole point.

This Is What Living LYVLI Looks Like

Living LYVLI isn't quitting your responsibilities and spending every day doing whatever you want.

It's finding a way to take care of your responsibilities without disappearing into them.

Do the laundry.

Make the dinner.

Clean the bathroom.

Take care of your people.

But take the walk too.

Eat the good lunch.

Read the ten pages.

Take your supplements.

Sit in the sunshine.

Meet your friend for coffee.

Use some of those quiet school hours to build a version of your everyday life that you actually enjoy.

Because you don't need to escape your life to feel alive again.

Sometimes you just need to make a little more room for yourself inside of it.

Live a life you love. Live LYVLI.