How to Plan a Perfect Evening Routine for Moms

For the sake of simplicity, let’s call evening dinner time and on. If you need help to tackle meal times check out the meal planning section of my blog. I’ve included lots of free resources to help you master meal time with kids!

The beginning part of the evening is all about creating space for the following day and winding down the children for their respective bedtimes.

The latter part of the evening is when moms get free time of their own! Woohoo! We will all choose to use that time differently. Maybe you indulge in self-love, work on growing your business or unplug with your partner. Maybe you binge your favourite show, have a glass of wine or work on a hobby. We are all going to prioritize this time differently – and that’s AWESOME!

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To kick off a busy mom’s evening routine I highly recommend allotting some time to tidying up the kitchen after dinner. The purpose of this is to give you a nice, clean space for the following day. I know I always want to kick myself when I can’t even fill the coffee pot in the morning because the sink is full of pots… Oh, wait, you’ve been there too?

Dinner is usually followed by some daddy-daughter time in our house, giving me an hour to myself. I usually split this between tidying up and self-care – namely a nice, hot, uninterrupted shower and my favourite skin care routine. We then have some relaxing family time together before starting her bedtime routine.

Now, this brings me to the main point of this article…

Raise your hand if your child has a bedtime routine?

Isn’t it interesting how we all create these relaxing, wind down routines for our children but often don’t even consider having one for ourselves? Every baby sleep consultant will tell you a bedtime routine is critical for successful nighttime sleep.

As moms, we are busy bees. We go-go-go, all day long! We, too, need a chance to unwind and relax before expecting a quality night’s sleep.

Personally, I’ve never been a “good sleeper”. Anxiety gets the best of me and I have a hard time falling asleep and a harder time staying asleep. Winding down at the end of the day is key to getting that good night’s rest.

The 3 top benefits of a healthy bedtime routine for moms:

• Improved sleep
• Decreased stress
• Increased productivity

As I mentioned above, winding down and letting go of the day relaxes your body and mind and this naturally allows for better sleep.

Perhaps most importantly, having a bedtime routine allows you to let go of the stress of the day. If I’m particularly anxious I love to do a brain dump of my worries, letting all that energy leave my body. Practicing gratitude at night is another favourite way to ditch the stress.

And lastly, an effective bedtime routine will set you up for success the following day. Imagine how much more productive you will be if you have your clothes laid out and a solid plan set up?

Let’s chat about what makes up a successful bedtime routine, shall we?

10 potential components of an effective bedtime routine for moms: 

• Ditch the screens
  
  I’m sure you fully expected this to top the list, eh?
  
  
• Plan the following day
  
  There are a few benefits to planning the following day in the evening. One – you tend to be much more realistic about what you can actually accomplish in a day versus creating your plan in the morning when you are energized and extra ambitious. Secondly, it allows your mind to relax knowing you have an actionable plan for the next day.
   
  
• Lay out your clothes
  
  This is particularly useful if you are indecisive and waste time rifling through your closet every morning. It’s a mama time saver!
  
  
• Brush your teeth
  
  This one is obvious… Floss too!
  
  
• Skincare routine
  
  
• Diffuse lavender or other calming scents
  
  Invest in some quality essential oils. They are amazing!
  
  
• Gratitude journal
  
  You don’t need a fancy journal for this. If you feel stuck, search for journal prompts online. There are tons to help get your words flowing!
  
  
• Journal
  
  Brain dumps, affirmations, goal setting, reflections and to-do lists are some of my personal favourite ways.
  
  
• Read a book
  
  Just make sure the book isn’t a crazy thriller that will keep you up all night!
  
  
• Prayer or meditation
  
  

This is my personal list of favourite activities to do before bedtime that I pull from to craft my perfect evening routine. 

I do try to limit screens for an hour. It’s hard, as a mom with a business, but I at least try to do 30 minutes screen-free to give my brain the break it needs.

Also, it’s not about doing ALL of these things EVERY night. You want to create your list and pull from it depending on your needs from the day. Maybe one day you need to spend time practicing gratitude, and another you need to spend more time in meditation. It’s important your routines are flexible, friend.

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Let’s recap this. The secret to a happy mom’s evening routine is being INTENTIONAL with her time and creating her ideal bedtime routine!

This sets you up for success with your solid morning routine the next day. Don’t have a morning routine you love? Check out this post “How to Create a Realistic Morning Routine for Moms”.

What is your favourite part of your evening routine? I’d love to know.

Xo,
Kinzy