Coming from startup culture, adjusting to what should be a restful season has been an unexpected challenge. When we decided as a family that I wouldn’t continue job hunting, I thought I knew how to approach being a stay-at-home mom—like it was a new career path. I did what I do best: researched best practices, read books on homemaking, and learned how to “keep house” (because, let’s be honest, startup salaries often mean outsourcing the tedious bits). I even started making bread—because isn’t that what homemakers do?
Cue the overwhelm.
I forgot that full-time infant care is, well, a full-time job.
And that’s without my year-plus commitment to breastfeeding.
And without nearby grandparents for extra support.
Eight months in, we’ve found a loose daily and weekly rhythm. I wouldn’t even call it a routine—it’s more of a rough practice. A very rough practice. Barely consistent enough to even be called a practice.
For housekeeping, I adapted Clean Mama’s five daily tasks to fit our life (which includes two huskies). Here’s what it looks like:
AM – Preferably before the first contact nap
- Make the bed
- One load of laundry
- Quick vacuum of living areas and bedroom
PM – During playtime with Dad
- Declutter living areas
- Tidy the kitchen
- Swap and put away laundry
That’s it. That’s all I have time for right now, and it’s enough to keep my mental health from spiraling. I try to mop weekly and wipe down bathrooms, but even that can feel like a lot. As for meal planning, deep cleaning, and gardening? Laughable pipe dreams at the moment.
I’m not prioritizing dusted baseboards over quality time with my family. Making a house a home is a long, loving process—I’ll get there eventually.
My husband and I are doing well just making time for each other—we finally started catching up on our favorite shows after baby goes to sleep. I’m not prioritizing dusted baseboards over quality time with my family.
Making a house a home is a long, loving process. I’ll get there eventually. For now, what matters most is that my baby is fed, changed, loved, and cuddled. And that I don’t miss a single moment more than I have to.