Cultivating Simplicity at Home with a Batching Schedule

Staying home with the kids is no joke. Until recently I was juggling a full time job and a side gig while at home with my daughter. Somehow I figured out how to balance homemaking and work duties. But man, it was hard. The only way I know how to do it is by keeping the same routines on the same days every week. In other words, I embraced a batching schedule.

Why bother with a batching schedule? As I’m sure you know, it’s easy to get distracted by phones, social media, and the ultimate, kids. Having a plan for the day keeps me focused so that I actually get those must-do tasks done.

As a mom, I’m constantly having to multitask, whether I want to or not. And this isn’t good for trying to get things done —we end up losing 40% of our productivity when that happens. 

Geeze, no wonder we moms feel like we never get anything done! All those constant interruptions really throw off our game! 

Using a batching schedule is what helps me do what I need to. I can more easily get back on track knowing there’s a task to be finished. Plus, my daughter knows there are specific things I do on certain days, so she’s got her own routine for those days too.

I’m going to take you through how to figure out which tasks to batch on different days. Treat this like a mini-workshop so you can create your own batching schedule.

Have a calendar or a planner handy while you do this. (If you’re looking for a planner recommendation, I used Day Designer for years.)

01. What’s on your schedule that can’t be moved

There are some things that happen on the same day every week. School and work typically start on Monday. One of your kids might have dance practice the same day every week.

This season we’re in, Matt works Tuesdays-Saturdays, and Juliana has swim lessons every Monday. In the fall, we’ll be adding on preschool, piano lessons, and choir to the schedule.

Figure out what can’t be moved so you can plan around it.

02. Decide what must get done every week

There are some things you can’t avoid having to do every week. Sometimes you can outsource. But usually it’s stuff you have to do.

List what tasks need to get done every week. Don’t place them on any days yet –just put it down on paper.

Here’s a list of my household tasks that I need to do every week:

• Meal planning
• Grocery shopping
• Cooking
• Cleaning
• Financials
• Laundry

If you’re in a season where you need to declutter and organize, I recommend adding it to your batching schedule as well.

03. How much time does each task take?

Some tasks take longer than others. Knowing how long it takes —or at least a general idea of how long it takes, can help you decide when it would be best to batch a task.

I can get grocery shopping done in an hour if I get to the store before the crowds. It also only takes me a couple hours to get the house cleaned up.

04. Assign the tasks for your batch schedule

There’s a lot of ways to choose, but this depends on what you have going on each day. I make sure to leave a lot of time to do other things like play dates or visiting. But I try to keep these tasks on the same days. If I ever get off schedule from traveling or something, it’s easy to get back on because of whatever day it is.

Write out each day along with its specific activities. Then decide which days would work best for your must do tasks depending on your time and energy.

Here’s my weekly batch schedule:

Monday -Meal prep. 

I cook batch breakfast and lunch for the week since work starts on Tuesday. Sometimes this day gets thrown off because we decide to go do something as a family. That’s more important. 

Tuesday – Library day. 

I work in the morning then take a break to go to the library.

Wednesday – Shopping and cleaning day. 

It’s double ad Wednesday at Sprouts, and I figured I may as well load all the disagreeable tasks in one day so I don’t have to think about doing unpleasant things twice. 

Thursday – Soon piano lesson day.

Friday – Tie the loose knots and fun day. 

I clear out my actionable paper tray so I don’t worry about it until the following week. Then I do something fun with Juliana. 

Saturday – Learning day. 

I love this day to sit down in my office and dig in on a course.

Sunday – Mass (unless we go Saturday night).

Even though these days are designated for specific tasks, there’s still a lot of room for spontaneity and fun things. But I do really like having this schedule for now. It makes my organized heart happy knowing that I’ve planned out when tasks will get done.

05. Write down your tasks

Write down the tasks you’re batching on your calendar or planner. If it gets written down, it’s going to get done. There’s something about crossing tasks off a list that’s satisfying. 

It doesn’t matter if you use paper and pen or digital, as long as it’s written down. And I’d prefer it was something other than a random piece of paper. It makes it more official. 

Task batching is a habit worth trying. Just like our kids thrive with schedules, we do too! But we always need to be flexible. Adjust when it’s not working and be willing to revamp it when there’s a change in your season of life.

Here are your marching orders:

Try out the batching system you’ve just put together and change it up if it’s not working. I’m excited to see how much more time you’ll have on your plate once you do this, and maybe you’ll have time to dig into that organizing project you’ve been putting off 😉