Here’s Why Time Blocking for Moms Is the Best Way to Cut the Chaos

Inside: Despite a busy day of changing 1000 diapers, you can’t help but look at your list and feel like a failure. This all changes with time blocking for moms, the best way to get more done…even if you’re interrupted every 5 minutes.

Exhausted woman, sitting on couch, head in hand. | time blocking for moms

It’s the end of a long and busy day. You’ve been busy all day long and yet, you feel like you got absolutely nothing done.

Sure, you changed a thousand diapers and have the spit up stains as proof of your exhausting work.

But…despite the busy day, you can’t help by look at your to do list and feel like a failure.

Fold the laundry? You look over to the couch where it towers in a mountain, clean, but not a single thing folded

Empty the dishwaher? Nope, it’s only half done and the pile of dirty dishes next to the sink is twice as big as it was the day before.

It’s not your fault.

Search for solutions for how to be more productive and you’ll find countless videos and posts that claim to teach you how to get a bajillion things done every day…flawlessly and with a new manicure.

The problem? Those productivity experts don’t usually have to complete tasks while swatting away a little hand trying to stick fingers in your mouth.

Or answer for the fifth time who’s turn it is to play with the fire truck.

Or try to power through the day on 4 hours of broken sleep.

Enter Time Blocking

Time blocking is the act of taking an entire day and break it down into chunks. It helps you manage your time by grouping like tasks together.

Here’s what time blocking might look for the rest of the world:

7-9 a.m Get up/eat breakfast/get dressed

9-11:30 a.m. Tackle most important project

Hold the phone, what?? You might be thinking…

“A two hour block to focus on one project?! You gotta be kidding me. I’m lucky if I have 5 minutes of uninterrupted time.”

But here is where time blocking for moms can be so valuable.

Collection of makeup, phone, glasses and beauty magazine. | time blocking for moms

Here’s What Time Blocking for Moms Looks Like

Have you ever heard the phrase “wearing different hats”? It means you have several different roles and tasks.

Which between wiping bottoms, solving fights and planning meals — is exactly what we as moms do.

Think through the different roles you fulfill throughout the day. Here are a few examples:

Spending quality time with kids
Cleaning house
Working on a passion project or outside the home
Being a good friend and neighbor
Volunteering at your church or your child’s school

Instead of looking at your day as one giant freeform chunk of time, you break it down based on what hats you wear.

Maybe in the morning, you wear the mom hat, kissing boo-boos and folding the never-ending mountain of laundry.

Then in the afternoon, you wear the entrepreneur hat, building your business to great heights.

On the weekend, you wear the neighbor hat, helping your elderly neighbor with lawn care.

Learn more: Create a Life You Love with Time Management For Moms

Schedule Your Day in Blocks

Instead of scheduling down to the minute what your day looks like, you schedule in blocks.

A time block schedule could look something like this:

8 a.m. Breakfast / get ready for the day
9 a.m. Daily chores
10 a.m. Play with kids
11:30 a.m. Lunch
12:30 p.m. Naptime

Pink planner, wallet, lip gloss, stapler and other office supplies. | time blocking for moms

Does this mean that you don’t tend to your kids during that chore block? Heck no. I’ve tried. They keep coming back.

But what it does mean is that you tend to what you need to do…then return to the chore you were doing.

Emptying the dishwasher, but you smell something stinky? Change that diaper, wash hands, then come right back to putting dishes away.

How Long Does Each Task Take?

In order for you to realistically block out your day, you need to know how long each thing takes.

This is as simple as setting a timer on your phone when you go to do a task, like folding the laundry. It may only take you 15 minutes to fold the laundry uninterrupted.

But with the typical interruptions that come along with being a mom…it might realistically take you 45 minutes to fold a load.

Setting up Your Time Blocking for Moms Schedule

Here’s how to set up your time blocked schedule:

#1: Grab the Free Planner Page

Download this free planner page and print it out.

#2: Start with Scheduled Appointments

Write in the already scheduled blocks. This can be appointments, such as doctor’s appointments, work or going to a playdate. Or it can be routine items, like getting ready or naptime.

Write these appointments into your planner, accounting for any prep or drive time needed.

#3: Schedule Your To-Dos

With your open blocks, write in the things you’d like to get done that day, whether it’s the boring stuff (chores and the like) or the fun stuff (doing a craft together or taking extra time to read new books).

Give Yourself Grace

At the end of the the day, keep in mind that we are raising these precious little humans. And that’s hard work!

Give yourself a pat on the back. You see, while most moms complain about not getting things done…

You’re here looking for answers for how to improve your life, and that’s not always an easy thing.

I’ll be honest. There are many days when I struggle to get even one thing done outside of childcare.

And that’s all right.

It’s okay for a day or even a week to be a wash. Give yourself grace because you’re doing a great job!

Hand writing in a pink planner, with part of a laptop showing above

Focus on Progress, Not Perfection

Try out the time blocking for moms schedule for a few weeks, then make small tweaks until you find exactly what works for you.

Time blocking not only helps you create realistic expectations, it also motivates you to be more productive. When you take steps towards your goal (even tiny steps) you end the day feeling accomplished and eager to work hard again the next day.

Make consistent progress every day and you will start to see results.

You will see better results by taking tiny steps every day than if you try to move mountains but get frustrated and give up.

Grab the free planner page!

If you haven’t already, be sure to grab this free planner page. It can help you decrease overwhelm and increase your productivity.

More importantly, it can help create time for you to do the things you love, like napping on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Because #sleepmatters.

Grab the free planner page by clicking on the pink button below.

DOWNLOAD PLANNER PAGE