I remember the day I figured out I needed to create a busy mom planner. About a year ago, I was ready to pull my hair out trying to keep my house clean and organized, plan meals, and stay on top of my kids’ busy schedules, to name just a few. If this sounds at all like you, keep reading to learn how to use a mom planner to get your household organized (and hopefully hold on to your sanity too).
I wish I could say it was one “aha” moment for me, but honestly, what drove me to create my Ultimate Mom Planner was an accumulation of years of just winging it and planning everything in our house last-minute and without intention or purpose.
Mornings and evenings were spent yelling at my kids to try to get them to get to bed on time at night and leave for school on time in the morning. I planned meals last minute, running to the grocery store several times a week to make meals and ordering lots of takeout.
I also had no clue what the family budget was for vacations and things like birthday parties, holiday decor, and gifts. This resulted in last-minute purchases and awkward conversations with my husband that often turned into arguments because neither one of us was on the same page.
I realized what I was doing wasn’t working. The problem was, like many other busy, over-exhausted moms out there running on autopilot, I had no clue how to stop and fix it to make my household run more smoothly and efficiently. And by the way, if you’re feeling alone in your exhaustion, don’t! According to a recent study, almost 70% of moms surveyed reported feeling anxious around having too much to do.
Fast forward one year and one hundred printable household planner templates later (yes, I did indeed create 100 templates!) and I can honestly say I am yelling at my kids a lot less. Note that I did not say “not yelling at all.” But I am losing my patience a lot less. Not to mention that by using a meal planning template and following a cleaning routine, I’ve got lots more free time to drive my kids around to their activities (HA!).
Read on to learn more about our mom planner and how you can use it to get your house more organized and reduce your stress level!
Busy Mom Planner: Daily, Weekly, & Monthly Planners
I’m going to start with my calendar and daily & weekly templates. For longer-term planning, I created twelve monthly blank calendar templates to keep track of our schedule on a monthly basis, giving myself and my family a bird’s eye view of our plans, activities, and schedule. What I do is print out the monthly calendar templates and keep them attached to a clipboard on the kitchen counter. That way, when my husband or kids need to add activities to the calendar, they can pencil them in.
I also created a year-at-a-glance template so that I could write down major events for the upcoming year like weddings, family trips, birthdays, and major holidays. This way, things don’t sneak up on me like they used to. I know by doing a quick glance at my year-in-advance calendar (also attached to my monthly calendar clipboard) that a birthday is coming up so I can get a card or gift ahead of time versus last-minute.
In addition, I developed daily and weekly to do list templates because I work from home running my own online business. It’s always been challenging for me, having ADHD and anxiety, to keep on top of my daily routine and tasks without losing focus.
Now that I use daily and weekly planner templates, I can write down specific items for both my business and personal life that need to get done. Having a list in front of me allows me to set clear and more importantly, achievable daily and/or weekly goals for myself.
The nice thing about these templates is that once you download them you will have them forever. Since they’re blank you can use them year after year. If you find that you only use the monthly calendar template and the daily to do list template but not the weekly planner template, that’s fine. Just print and use what works for you.
For someone with ADHD like me, it helps me to have daily highlights where I can keep motivated by listing the positives of my day and checking off daily items on my to do list.
I also like to add timeframes to my to do list. If you tend to function the same way, I suggest adding timeframes to each of your to do items. For example, you can write “work on ABC project – 9am-10am. This is similar to the Pomodoro Method. Depending upon the project or task, you can allocate a certain amount of time.
For busy moms working both inside and outside the home (or working from home), one idea is to break up the to do list into “work to do items” and “home to do items.” This helps me because unlike my online business where my to do items are typically the same each day, my household tasks vary greatly day by day.
Busy Mom Planner: Budget Planners
A mom planner would not be complete without a budgeting section! I’ve got every kind of budget template you need to track spending in all areas of your busy life, as well as savings goals templates to save for your next big home purchase or family vacation (see templates pictured below).
In the Mom Planner there are also budget templates for specific events like vacations, summer (camps anyone?), and of course, the biggest budget-buster also known as the holidays.
If you’re thinking that I’ve forgotten about cleaning, don’t worry, that’s coming next!
Busy Mom Planner: Cleaning Checklists
Many moons ago I thought I could handle all of the cleaning and maintenance in my house all by myself. And I actually did handle it by myself. But that made me very tired and irritable.
I will admit I was being stubborn. I thought that was part of my “mom duties.” It’s not like my husband or kids refused to help me. It’s that I never asked.
Then on one sunny, crisp March morning about a year and half ago (which also happened to be my birthday), I fell while running and tore a ligament in my foot. I was on crutches for weeks.
It was like some divine intervention by the universe, forcing me to ask for help. And ask for help I did. I hired a cleaning person to come every two weeks. I also assigned my kids chores for the first time. Enter the family cleaning checklist which is included in the Ultimate Mom Planner. This little beauty, along with full and blank cleaning checklists, will hopefully help you delegate household chores and establish a manageable cleaning routine like they did me!
Busy Mom Planner: Sitter & Emergency Procedures
Another addition to the Mom Planner came when I realized that I kept having to write down instructions and important safety information for babysitters and grandparents when my husband and I would leave for a date night or for a trip.
I would highly recommend writing down emergency procedures for your household. Unfortunately, most of us (myself included), don’t think about these rare emergencies until an emergency takes place. Having these procedures at the ready will give you peace of mind when you leave (and even while you’re home).
Busy Mom Planner: Morning & Evening Checklists
Part of what has helped me get our household more organized and lessen the amount of frustration and yelling inside of our home is using morning & evening routine checklists, as well as a weekly school checklist.
You might be wondering how writing down a list for your kids could actually make a big difference in your household. But let me tell you, it does make a difference.
And I know this because I’ve talked to dozens of moms who also use either our checklists or similar checklists in their homes. Moms have reported that because their kids know what is expected of them and it’s written down, they do what needs to get done! That translates to less frustration for the whole family.
I keep my checklists on my kitchen counter at the ready so that I always know where we’re at in our morning and evening routines. For example, in the mornings I know when my kids need to finish their breakfast and get dressed for school so that we get out the door on time.
In the afternoons, I use the afternoon / evening checklist to keep my kids (and myself) on task. For example, the kids know when they get home from school they have 30 minutes of free time. Next is homework, followed by exercise, dinner, quiet time, and finally (praise be), bedtime.
I’ll admit that coming up with these routines was not intuitive for me. It took trial and error to figure out how much time to allocate for each task to get the kids to school on time in the morning and to bed on time at night.
To figure out what works for your own family, I suggest writing out a schedule or routine. Next, call a family meeting to get all involved parties on board with the new schedules. I’ve learned the hard way that my kids and my spouse don’t like it when I change up the routine without warning!
Lastly, make sure to display the new routines in your house where the entire family can see them!
Busy Mom Planner: Party Planning
Can I just say I never got the memo that being a mom involved SO much event and party planning?! It’s definitely not something you think of before you become a parent. But once you’ve planned one birthday party, you know there’s many more to come.
I took my mom party planning experience, coupled with several years of experience working in event coordination, and developed three party planning templates that are also included in the Ultimate Mom Planner.
These templates will help you set a party budget and stay within your budget (hopefully). In addition, I developed a “day of” party planner timeline to keep on track of all the day of details.
Mom Planner: Additional Templates
Frequently Asked Questions
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How can a mom planner help me get my home organized?
A mom planner is a fantastic tool for organizing your home and keeping track of your daily tasks, appointments, and to-do lists. By using a mom planner, you can prioritize your chores, plan meals, and schedule activities for your family, ensuring that nothing slips through the cracks.
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Why should I choose your printable mom planner over digital organizing tools? Can I use your planner digitally?
While digital tools are convenient, our printable mom planner offers a tangible, hands-on experience that many people prefer. With a printable planner, you can physically write down your tasks, appointments, and notes, allowing for better visualization and a sense of accomplishment as you check off completed tasks.
Not only that, every page of our planner is blank and once you download it you can print and use any of the pages as many times as you like, versus having to purchase a new calendar or planner every year which can get costly.
And yes, you can use our planner on the go on your phone or ipad. You can also access it using a notation app like Goodnotes.
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How do I effectively utilize a mom planner to stay organized?
Start by setting aside a few minutes each day to review and update your mom planner. Write down important appointments, create daily to-do lists, and jot down any notes or reminders. By consistently using your mom planner, you’ll develop a routine that keeps you and your family on track and ensures that you don’t overlook any vital tasks.
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What are some useful sections to include in a mom planner?
A well-designed mom planner typically includes sections for monthly and weekly planning, meal planning, budgeting, goal-setting, and party planning, just to name a few. These sections can help you stay organized in multiple aspects of your life, making your mom planner a versatile tool for productivity.
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Can I customize my mom planner to fit my specific needs?
Absolutely! Many mom planners offer customizable features, such as removable and pages that can be printed and added to tailor the planner to your preferences. You can personalize it with stickers, color-coding, or additional notes, making your mom planner uniquely yours!
If there are any pages you don’t need, you don’t have to print them.
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Are there any tips for effectively managing my time with a mom planner?
To make the most of your mom planner, consider using time-blocking techniques. Allocate specific time slots for different activities, such as cleaning, meal preparation, and quality time with your family. This practice helps you manage your time efficiently and ensures you have dedicated moments for every aspect of your busy life.
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How can a mom planner help reduce stress and overwhelm?
A mom planner serves as a central hub for all your tasks and commitments, providing a sense of control and reducing the risk of forgetting important things. By using a mom planner consistently, you can prioritize tasks, break them down into manageable steps, and enjoy the satisfaction of crossing them off your list, ultimately reducing stress and overwhelm.
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Can a mom planner help me achieve a better work-life balance?
Yes, a mom planner is an excellent tool for balancing work and personal life. By scheduling and prioritizing your tasks, you can allocate dedicated time for both work-related responsibilities and quality family time. When you have a clear plan, it becomes easier to ensure that you’re devoting enough attention to all areas of your life.
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How can I make my mom planner visually appealing and fun to use?
You can use your mom planner either digitally on your phone, ipad, or on a lap top, or you can print it out and assemble the pages and dividers into a binder (recommended).
You can also print out the pages you need and attach them to a clipboard or hang individual pages on your refrigerator with a magnet.
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Where can I learn more about or purchase the Mom Planner?
You can learn more about our Mom Planner here.
If you would like to print out your Mom Planner and assemble the pages into a binder (this is what I recommend), you can use any three-ring binder that you have already in your home.
If you don’t already own a three-ring binder, you can find reasonably-priced binders on Amazon for around $7. My binder recommendation is here.
