Routine Essentials As A Working Mum

Returning to work after maternity leave has in some ways felt like a huge change, and in some ways an easy transition. I think it’s felt easier due to some routine essentials I have in place.

It’s been nice to use a different part of my brain again and get back into a routine outside of motherhood. But suddenly trying to balance different working hours, nursery days, housework, life admin and making sure everyone has what they need each day is definitely a juggling act.

I’ve quickly realised that routines aren’t about making every day look the same. They’re about removing as many unnecessary decisions as possible. The more I can prepare in advance, the less stressed I feel when the inevitable unexpected things happen.

These are some of the routine essentials that have made the biggest difference since returning to work.

Packing Scarlett’s bag the night before

On a Sunday Scarlett goes to Luke’s parents for a sleepover. On a Tuesday and Wednesday Scarlett is at nursery, and on a Thursday both me and Scarlett at at my mums. So the weeks all mixed up anyway. And one thing I’ve learnt very quickly is that mornings with a toddler are unpredictable.

Some mornings I’ll have to wake her up to leave, other times she’s up at 6am.

Because of that, I try to remove as much pressure from the morning as possible by packing her nursery or grandparents’ bag the evening before—or on a Sunday evening if I know what the week looks like.

Thankfully we’ve left essentials like cups, nappies etc at both grandparents. And we don’t have to prepare food. So most of the time it’s just spare clothes and her teddy. But for her sleepover it’s also her sleeping bag etc.

Knowing everything is ready means one less thing to think about before I’ve even had a cup of tea.

Planning my own breakfast and snacks

If I’m honest, one of the first things that gets forgotten when life is busy is me. It’s incredibly easy to make sure Scarlett has everything she needs while completely forgetting to think about my own meals.

I’ve started try to plan some breakfast/ lunches and snacks in advance so that, at the very least, I know I’ll eat something during the day.

Sometimes that’s breakfast sandwiches in the fridge. Other times it’s dairylea lunchables and packs of chicken.

It’s nothing complicated, but having food ready stops me getting to 2pm wondering why I feel exhausted. Or just digging into the sweet snacks.

Keeping on top of my to-do list

I couldn’t function without a to-do list, in fact I couldn’t function without my todoist app.

If my app didn’t tell me it was the day of the month to wash the bedding I’d forget. If my app didn’t remind me to water the grass it wouldn’t get done. Every aspect of household tasks, errands, life admin, appointments is on my list.

This way I don’t need to use brain power to remember it all.

I keep one running to-do list that combines work tasks, blogging, home jobs and life admin. Then each day or week I’ll review what I have to do and move things around if needed.

Some days everything gets ticked off. Other days things have to move over to the next day.

But having everything written down means I’m not relying on my memory, and that’s made a huge difference to my stress levels.

Making the most of my lunch break

One unexpected benefit of being back at work is that Scarlett isn’t at home during the day.

As much as I miss her, it does mean my lunch break can be surprisingly productive.

Rather than trying to squeeze everything into evenings and weekends, I’ll often use my time to put a wash on, empty the dishwasher, run the hoover over the living room, or pop out to run an errand.

It means that when work finishes, I can spend more of my evening with Scarlett instead of immediately starting housework.

Accepting that not everything has to be done today

This has probably been the biggest lesson I’ve learnt.

Before becoming a mum, I felt like I had to finish everything on my list before I could properly relax. Now? That’s simply not realistic.

Some days Scarlett wants extra cuddles after nursery. Some evenings she’s tired and needs an early bath and bedtime. Other times she just wants someone to play with.

I’ve learnt that the world doesn’t end if the washing stays in the basket for another day or if I don’t answer every email immediately.

Choosing family time is the better decision.

Using shared calendars

One of the easiest ways Luke and I stay organised is by sharing our calendars. We’ve done this for years and years but it helps to have everything in one place.

It means on the odd Thursday when Luke has to pick Scarlett up from my parents, he knows in advance. Or we know when appointments are happening, or when not to make plans as the other is busy.

When you’re managing two schedules and a toddler’s diary, having everything in one place saves so much confusion.

Remember that routine is there to help, not restrict

I’ve realised that routine doesn’t have to mean scheduling every minute of every day (however much I want to).

For me, it’s simply creating small habits that make life easier.

Packing bags in advance. Planning food. Writing lists. Using lunch breaks wisely. Having a weekly reset.

None of them are groundbreaking on their own, but together they remove so much mental load. The reality is that life with a toddler will never go completely to plan, and that’s okay.

Having these routines in place means that when the unexpected happens—as it inevitably does—I’m starting from a place that already feels organised. And that’s made returning to work feel far more manageable than I ever thought it would.er the