Stay-at-Home Mom Schedule With A Newborn
The newborn stage is one of the hardest for any stay-at-home mom. If you have other kids, the stress is doubled.
What really helped me thrive in the newborn phase was learning all about wake windows.
A wake window is how long your baby should be awake before going down for their next nap.
By following my son’s wake window, I was able to plan my days effectively around his sleep and awake periods.
Children between 0-3 months should take 5 to 8 naps a day ranging from a length of 1-4 hours. This gives us a lot of time for house chores.
| Eat | Play | Sleep |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Feed baby immediately after they wake up | 1. Interactive play with mom e.g cuddling, singing, etc | 1. Place baby on their backs in their own space (crib or bassinet) |
| 2. If you follow a wake window, then set a timer to remind you when to put the baby down again | 2. Educational time – read a book to your baby. | 2. Use white noise that stays constant (no waves or thunder, etc). |
| 3. Independent playtime – let baby explore toys on their playmat independently. | 3. Do house chores when the baby is sleeping. | |
| 4. Tummy time – do tummy time for a few minutes after each nap | 4. Take a nap yourself when needed. |
Morning & Afternoon Routine With Newborn
I start my baby’s day with breastfeeding or a bottle. I always follow the Eat-Play-Sleep Cycle.
After feeding, we do independent playtime where I lay him in his playmat to explore the toys before his next nap.
While he’s napping, I clean the living room. I vacuum, dust, and put things in order.
It’s important to get your baby used to everyday noises so that he will be able to nap anywhere.
During his next awake period, I feed him then read him a book and let him explore it. We do tummy time and then independent playtime.
For the second nap, I clean the kitchen and dining area.
One IMPORTANT TIP is to use paper plates and utensils so you won’t have much to clean up.
The cycle of feeding, independent playtime, educational time, interactive play, and nap time continues until bedtime.
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Evening & Nightime Routine With Newborn
In the early days of life, it’s important to set up a strict bedtime routine. This routine will evolve over time as your baby grows.
A good routine will help your baby sleep through the night.
In the evening, I turn off all the lights except for one dim light to help me navigate around the house.
I do this because newborns don’t develop a circadian rhythm from birth. They need help to differentiate between day and night.
After I turn down the lights, I proceed to feed my baby for the night. After dinner, I give him a bath and dress him for bed.
To help with sleep, I use a sound machine that plays a white noise constantly throughout the night.
At this age expect your baby to wake every 2-3 hrs to feed.
Try not to turn on the lights too bright at night. Remember that consistency is key here.
Lights should be off or very low for nighttime sleep and feeds.
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What if you have a toddler, what would be a good routine for them?
Stay-at-Home Mom Schedule For Infant 4-12 Months
Your baby will take 3 naps from 4 to 7 months old. At 8 months old, they will transition to 2 naps until they hit a year old.
The wake windows of infants at this age are anywhere between 2-3.5 hours.
The amount of nap they take, give you plenty of time to do chores and relax when you need to.
Here’s how I structure my day around my infant son’s wake window.
Morning (Before first nap)
- Drink breastmilk or formula
- Eat solid food 1 hour after milk
- Independent playtime
- Nap
I’m very intentional about providing opportunities for independent play because I want my child to get all the benefits out of it.
We follow the Montessori technique in our home. During Independent play, I put out 3-4 Toys all with a similar theme for the day.
An example could be the theme of circular objects. For this, I’d put out a ball, spinning drum, and any other round object I have.
Through exploration and independent play, he learns how circular objects behave.
This also helps with his imagination as well because the toys are open-ended.
Afternoon (After first nap)
- Breastmilk or formula
- Eat solid food 1 hour after milk
- Interactive playtime
- Nap
During interactive play, we sing nursery rhymes. My son loves to bounce up and down on my knees, so we do that while we sing.
I engage him in whatever he’s interested in playing with at that moment. It ranges from blocks to stacking cups. The idea is to teach him how to play with others.
Afternoon (After second nap)
- Breastmilk or formula
- Independent playtime
- Educational time
- Dinner (solid food)
- Bedtime routine
During the educational time, I present him with 2 different books on the topic of the day.
If the topic of the day is circles, we will read age-appropriate books related to circles or circular motion.
I let him choose which one he wants. This helps him foster independence and decision-making.
After we finish reading, I prepare his dinner and get him ready for bed.
We try not to let our son watch TV because it really isn’t necessary at this age.
In fact, research suggests that parents should wait until 18 months to let their children watch TV.
This is because infant brains can’t really process the information they’re seeing. It’s just a bunch of colors and moving images.
Excessive TV watching also leads to impacted sleep and language delay.
When Do I Let My Baby Watch TV?
I let my infant son watch TV when I need a break and there’s no one around to help me.
We do the best we can as parents, but sometimes we need a little help.
If you feel like you need a break from all the chores and baby care, you can turn on the TV and just put your feet up for a while.
No one will judge you.
A trick I’ve found to make screen time productive is to let my son facetime with his grandparents while I do things around the house.
He gets to interact with them (which is good for his brain) and gives me a break at the sam
Conclusion
Whatever schedule you chose to follow with your kids, make sure you stay consistent. It may be hard to get your child used to a new routine at first, but with consistency, they will adapt.
I hope this article has helped you come up with a good stay-at-home mom schedule for your infant and newborn
