How I Structure My Week as a Working Mom of Three (and Still Have a Soul)

shyladifuntorum
Nov 5, 2025
4 min read

Real-life rhythm, routines, and products that keep me (mostly) sane.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a full-time working mom of three (plus one very needy Hungarian Vizsla), it’s this: structure isn’t optional — it’s survival.

Between school drop-offs, meetings, dinner, laundry, and the never-ending snack requests, the only way our household stays remotely sane is by having a weekly rhythm that works for us, not against us.

Is it perfect? Not even close. But it gives me a foundation — and more importantly, a little room to breathe.

Here’s a peek at how I structure my week to juggle work, family, and the rare, sacred moment of me-time.

Sunday: The Planning + Reset Ritual

Sundays are sacred — not for rest, but for prep. (I wish I could say it’s peaceful, but honestly it’s 60% logistics, 40% bribing my kids to help.)

I spend about 30–45 minutes on Sunday afternoons doing what I call “preventative chaos control.”

☑ Review the week ahead (school events, deadlines, dentist appointments I definitely forgot to schedule).

☑ Meal plan + grocery list (3–4 dinners max because we live in reality).

☑ Prep school/work bags and outfits for Monday.

☑ Quick fridge clean-out and reset.

If I have time, I’ll use my Clever Fox Planner to sketch the week — it’s basically my second brain. And I’ll order groceries for pickup using Walmart, because dragging three kids through a grocery store is not an Olympic event I’m training for.

By Sunday night, my brain feels 10 pounds lighter — and Monday feels a little less like a face-plant.

Monday–Friday: The Daily Flow (a.k.a. Controlled Chaos)

Mornings: The Pre-Work Marathon

4:00–6:00 am: I wake up before everyone for quiet time — coffee, dog walk, and pretending I’m going to journal.

(Hot tip: a Yeti Rambler Mug keeps your coffee drinkable past 8:00 a.m. It’s witchcraft.)

6:00–7:00 am: Kids up, breakfast, get dressed, out the door. There’s cereal on the floor. There’s toothpaste on the wall. But somehow, everyone leaves alive.

8:00–4:30/5 pm: Work hours — usually stacked with meetings, project work, and at least one “Mom, I forgot my lunch” emergency run.

I front-load my heavy meetings in the morning and keep afternoons open for deep work, flexibility, or recovering from whatever life threw at us before 10 a.m. Of course, it doesn't always workout this way, but I try my best to align my days like this.

Evenings: The Wind-Down (Sort Of)

5:30–7:30 pm: Dinner, homework, bath, bedtime.

8:00–9:30 pm: Quick tidy, prep for tomorrow, then a sacred half-hour of quiet. Sometimes that’s reading (Atomic Habits is my go-to reread). Other times it’s scrolling mindlessly while recapping the day with my husband on the couch — both count as self-care.

To keep the week flowing, I assign “themes” to each weekday. It’s my secret to staying sane without reinventing dinner every night:

Day	Theme	Reality Check
Monday	Easy dinner night	Leftovers or breakfast-for-dinner — my Cuisinart Waffle Maker is a hero here.
Tuesday	Family time	Board games, nature walk, or Bluey marathon — whatever we can manage.
Wednesday	Midweek catch-up	Emails, laundry, and re-evaluating life choices.
Thursday	Fridge clean-out	Random meal roulette + early bedtime (for everyone).
Friday	Movie night	Takeout, popcorn, pajamas. I use my Philips Hue light bulbs to set “movie mode.” Works every time.

“Structure isn’t about control — it’s about rhythm.”

Saturday: The Flex Day

Saturdays are our wild card. Sometimes it’s a family outing; sometimes it’s laundry and survival. I try not to over-schedule.

If the weather’s good, we’ll do a park trip or backyard picnic — nothing fancy, just Stanley tumblers, lawn chairs, and kids who inevitably end up muddy and happy.

If the weather’s bad, it’s a “stay-in-pajamas” kind of day with Moana on repeat.

Three Things That Keep Me (Mostly) Sane

1. Google Calendar is my co-parent.

Every schedule lives there — kids, work, dog vet appointments, everything. I color-code everything (blue = work, pink = chaos, green = therapy). I even block “me-time” like it’s a meeting with myself.

(Pro tip: Amazon Echo Show lets the kids see what’s next — and reduces the “Wait, what are we doing today?” questions by at least 12%.)

2. I’ve Lowered the Bar (On Purpose).

My house is not spotless. My meals are not Pinterest-worthy. My laundry pile has achieved structural integrity.

But you know what? Everyone’s fed, loved, and mostly clean — and that’s enough.

When it comes to cleaning shortcuts, my Eufy RoboVac 11S does 90% of the floor work while I pretend to supervise homework. It’s the best kind of delegation.

3. I Give Myself Grace.

Some weeks are smooth. Some are a beautiful mess. Either way, we keep going.

And on nights when the to-do list wins, I light my Pura Smart Diffuser, pour a glass of wine, and remind myself: structure isn’t about control — it’s about rhythm.

“You’re not building a perfect life. You’re building a sustainable one.”