Practical Time-Blocking Tips for Busy Stay-at-Home Moms

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Moms are constantly doing 12 tasks at once. We prepare breakfast while making a grocery list. We schedule a doctor’s appointment while finishing laundry. We answer emails while nursing our newborn.

As an at-home parent, you likely have a lot to juggle in small windows of time. Whether full-time momming with littles or working from home, being a parent is hard!

Enter the time-blocking method.

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Time-blocking is as it sounds: breaking up the day into timed chunks. It is a time management strategy. Time-blocking allows you to evaluate where (and what) you spend your time and energy on daily. It enables you to take charge of the chunks of your day and to be more productive.

Time-blocking is beneficial for:

• Anyone who needs to be accountable for their time.
• Visually oriented people.
• People who have to get a lot done in a short time.
• People who need to do deep work.

Time-blocking is especially helpful for moms.

It helps those who work from home manage the time between school drop-offs and pickups. Time-blocking helps busy moms fit work into the margins of motherhood. It allows them to be present with their kids while also leaving space for themselves.

Time-blocking may not be the magic answer moms are seeking. After all, the actual answer to most moms' time management problems might involve cloning. But it sure is a helpful strategy.

The best part? You probably already do a form of it without realizing it!

How time-blocking helps busy moms.

According to Asana.com, “With time blocking, you’re effectively breaking the work week into bite-sized time slots where you check your email, work on projects, take a break, or even exercise.”

Time-blocking (sometimes referred to as block scheduling) means you’re spending a set amount of time on each task. So although moms claim they do 12 things at once, can they simultaneously do 12 things well? If you are home or working from home with kids present, you likely have many tasks to juggle in small amounts of time.

Time-blocking can help at-home moms do the following:

• Give an intentional label to the activity or task they’re trying to accomplish.
• Do one task or category of tasks at a time and do it well.
• Allow them more time for themselves.
• Maintain organization and motivation throughout the day.

These are the steps to time-block your day.

1. Figure out what you want to do that day. Brain dump. Sit down and make a list. Chances are, you want to do more than three things, but be realistic. Do your tasks, but do them well. Factor in deadlines, important appointments, or whatever else you need to get done.

2. Break your day into blocks. If you’re a mom, you likely already do this without even realizing it. You might have a “morning time,” a “nap time,” “afternoon time,” etc. Label the blocks in a way that works for you. Remember, this strategy is to benefit you, so if you want to label that random 4 to 6 p.m. pre-bedtime block as “The Chaos Hours,” go for it.

3. Plug your tasks into the blocks. It helps to sort similar tasks together. For example, the morning block could be for deep work. Then the naptime block is for self-care or rest, the afternoon block might be for housework, and so on.

4. Schedule self-care and rest. One of the advantages of time-blocking is that you have concrete knowledge of your time. Be sure to schedule a block for self-care, rest, or even phone-free time.

Time-blocking can benefit you and your kids.

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As busy moms, our days can get away from us. If we need to complete a set amount of tasks, time-blocking helps. But the system doesn't work if you don't follow through. It’s easy to set them and forget them. Make sure to follow your time blocks once you set them.

Kids thrive with routine. Think about the way school days are set up and what your kids are most used to. Math tasks are done within one hour, then social studies in another, reading, and so on. They like knowing what’s going to happen next.

A loose form of time-blocking is beneficial for kids, too. Using time-blocking, kids can prepare for what’s coming. It also helps them move from task to task more independently.

As with anything in parenting, embrace flexibility.

As an at-home parent, or any parent for that matter, things happen. We can’t always prepare for emergencies or sick kids. Even though we want to hold on to our schedule and routines, we do have to be a little flexible.

When things happen, allow yourself flexibility with your time-blocking system. If your schedule feels too rigid, you’ll be less likely to stick with it.