The Simplest Evening Routine for Working Moms

• You definitely need to eat some form of dinner. I won’t judge if it’s a Costco chocolate chip muffin and a handful of chips (that may or may not be what I had last night, but let’s not focus on me.). But, maybe feed your kids something else…
• Bath/shower time for the kids and for yourself (if you prefer night showers)
• Homework
• Clean up the house so it’s at least not a complete disaster. Focus only on things you need to keep up with daily.
• Layout clothes/items for the next day – always put everything in the same place (next to the door, the foot of your bed, etc.)
• Prep lunches for the kiddos
• Bedtime routine for the kids – we usually read 3 books together in bed

Evening Routine Nice to Dos

These are the things that would be awesome to do every single night, but can definitely be worked in a few nights a week or even once a week.

• Some form of self-care whether that involves your kiddos or not.
• Workout – let’s be real, this can’t always be fit in, but if this is something extremely important to you to do every day, move it up to the Must Do list.
• Deeper cleaning – this would be any task you’d rotate that only needs to be done once a week or every other week.
• More meal prepping – if there’s anything else you can fit in and you have the energy, do it. Prep tomorrow’s breakfast, a few extra lunches, tomorrow’s dinner, etc.

Sample Evening Routine for Working Moms

Now that we know our must dos and nice to dos, let’s plan out a simple evening routine that any working mom can fit in her schedule!

• 5:30 pm – get home and put your phone away!
• 5:45 pm – homework time
• 6:45 pm – dinner with the family
• 7:15 pm – clean up time with the kids (they can do their chores and you can do your daily chores here or prep lunches – get the entire family to help)
• 8:00 pm – bath time
• 8:20 pm – books with kids (or your own version of a routine)
• 8:30 pm – kiddos to bed
• 8:45 pm – finish daily & weekly chores, finish prepping lunches
• 9:30 pm – lay out clothes for the next day & put everything in an easy to grab spot
• 9:45 pm – sprinkle in that self-care (a book, show, workout, your nails, etc.)
• 10:30 pm – bedtime

Tips for a Successful Evening Routine

Plan Ahead for your Evening Routine

On Sunday nights, make it a part of your evening routine to plan for the week ahead.

Always start with your must-dos and work those into your calendar first. Then add in your should-dos and could-dos. You may need to work some of these in to your evening routine throughout the week.

Have a Morning Routine Too!

If you feel like you need an evening routine, chances are you need to look into getting your morning routine on point as well.

Having structure to your evenings and mornings will only lead to more productivity and a well-balanced working mom life.

You wanted the secret to how some moms get all the things done, right? Well first off, they don’t. So that’s the real secret.

BUT, when they want to attempt to get all the things done, they add structure to their days and become consistent. That’s the secret sauce.

You May Also Like: 12 Powerful Morning Routine Tips for Working Moms (that actually work)

If Your Routine Feels Overwhelming, It is

Don’t stress yourself out. If the above schedule seems too structured to start with, just start with one thing.

Start by trying to leave work on time to get home on time.

Once you’ve got that down, then work in the habit of putting your phone away as soon as you get home.

Then move on to the next thing you can work in until that’s a habit.

If your evening routine feels like you are constantly rushing or battling with the kiddos, something isn’t working.

Find what works for you and your family.

That may include an earlier bed time for the kiddos, a later dinner, a later bed time for you, etc.

The key is finding what works for you and your family and then sticking to it.

No matter what, consistency over all else. If you can find consistency, you will find an evening routine that works and eventually, it won’t feel like work.

Put Your Phone Away

Yes, do this. Seriously.

If you want to get through your evening routine smoothly and get it all done, at least put your phone away when you don’t need it.

This allows you to focus more of your energy on your kiddos which they will appreciate and you won’t get distracted.

As soon as you walk through the door, put it in your room and once you’re done for the night, pull it back out.

Trust me, you won’t miss much. You can catch up with all your fav social media fun during your self care time.

Pay Attention to Your Energy Level

Taper Down Your Evening Routine Each Day

Usually, on Monday nights, you have the most energy. You’ve recharged over the weekend so you aren’t as drained as you would be on say, Friday.

If you commute like me, Mondays also tend to be the nights with the least amount of traffic so I get home the earliest. Then as the week goes on, the traffic goes to shit and I’m home later and later each day.

Let’s use this to our advantage. That means, structure your routine with the things that you either hate to do or that suck up most of your energy.

I personally like to do my floors on Monday night. They take a bit longer and I get all the grime from the weekend. I sweep daily, but usually Hubby will wipe them down with vinegar on Monday nights.