My Mama Morning Routine and Free Morning Routine Checklist

Having a stay-at-home-mom morning routine with a baby that starts you off on a productive foot is no small feat. Last year, I wrote about my struggle with getting started for the day and how I developed a morning routine to combat the feeling of chaos and exhaustion.

The biggest takeaway? Carving out some time for self-care.

Holidays, changing weather, and a baby growing into a toddler caused my morning routine to eventually slip up, but the beauty of a routine is that they are allowed to shift, to evolve, to change completely.

Over time, I've found that there are a few constants to set me up for a productive day. Develop your own morning routine with my tips, or print out my fill-in-the-blank free morning routine checklist at the end of this post. 

So, I chose to give myself some grace and embrace the new season.

Gentle Newborn Routines to Strengthen Your Bond with Baby

My third trimester was filled with anxiety, and then depression ascended, and my days ebbed and flowed. Panic, anxiety, and a never ending list of tasks led into a spiral of inner thoughts that convinced me my husband and unborn child would thrive if they had a different woman in the house.

Someone more efficient, more cheerful, more kind.  Don't get me wrong, I did a LOT to reduce my stress during pregnancy, but postpartum depression and anxiety still found a way to meet me in my newfound motherhood. 

By week 3, my husband went back to work, and family wouldn't be making another visit for awhile.

I was facing my first week alone with my baby during the day, and I was scared. 

What if I get frustrated? What if we don’t bond? What if I make a mistake because I’m too tired? My mind kept thinking a schedule would protect her, but I knew it was impossible to schedule a newborn.

3 Simple Ways to Worship God with Your Toddler

We've been doing family devotions at home with Anna since she was about 12 months old, and I wish we had started sooner!

Not only does our 3-step approach allow God time to minister to my heart and my husband's heart when we were otherwise skipping over family devotional time, but it lays a foundation for our daughter to know God's love for her.

Family Devotions at Home with a Toddler

There's not much to it. The best part? It takes 5-10 minutes and can be achieved in three easy steps:

1. Sing a song of praise
2. Read a bible verse out loud
3. Say a prayer

Sing a song of praise

We are lucky that my husband plays guitar. In fact, his talent for music is, what I believe, a blessing from God, but he has gone years without playing it. The act of doing this with our daughter has brought his guitar out of its case on a daily basis.

Matt and I will pick a song for the week and sing it every day with Anna. Sometimes, it's a favorite hymn. Sometimes, it's as simple as Jesus Loves Me.

The point is that we are worshiping together, and God loves that, no matter how simple the song.

If you don't play an instrument, play a recording of the song and sing along!

I recommend doing this step first as most toddlers can't resist a good song and opportunity to get the wiggles out.