Day in the Life of a Homeschool Mom with a Newborn!

We're coming up on two weeks since our baby Leah came and we're starting to fall into a bit of rhythm (though we are definitely still in survival mode and not trying to do too much). The first week after the baby came, we didn't try to do much. I was still recovering a lot, Ben and I weren't getting hardly any sleep, and my mom was here to spend time with the kids.

This week, things started to feel more normal again. I was up and doing a lot more, Leah was sleeping slightly better (though we're still not getting great sleep or much of it), and I was wanting to get back into our normal routine a little more. I like the structure our routine brings and I feel the kids do better in the afternoon when our mornings are structured.

I thought today I would share what our day looked like.

6:20 am

Leah has woken up around 6:30 pretty much every morning for about a week now to eat and then goes right back to sleep. I can't usually go back to sleep (even when I've tried, Leah is a pretty noisy sleeper at this point and I struggle to go back to sleep in the mornings anyway) so I get up and get things done. It's nice to have this time without holding a baby, because Leah still has contact naps throughout the day.

Today, she cried out but didn't wake up, so I didn't actually feed her. I got up and made my hot chocolate in our hot chocolate maker. While it was mixing and cooling a little, I reset the kitchen (I am way too tired to try to do this at night) and cleared out the dishwasher (Ben loads and starts it every night). When my hot chocolate was ready, I sat and read in my scriptures while I drank it. I heard the kids wake up upstairs, but they know not to come down until 7:30.

7:30 am

I got up from my chair and made hot chocolate for the rest of the family (I do separate batches because I use almond milk in mine and powdered milk in everyone else's) and did a little more cleaning. Then Ben came out and we did Connections on NYT together. We usually do it at night, but we've been trying to do it earlier since having the baby, because we're so tired at night that it's hard to think.

8:00 am

Because she didn't wake up to eat at 6:30 and actually had less feeds in the night (it was nice!), I woke up Leah at 8:00 instead of waiting until 8:30. I fed her while doing the other NYT puzzles on my phone and Duolingo.

The kids ended up not coming downstairs until now, they got caught up in a game in their room. They came down and drank their hot chocolate and started coloring at the table.

After she ate, I changed Leah's diaper and let her have some floor time and tummy time before putting her in the bouncer while I made eggs and got everyone their supplements. The kids had cereal for breakfast (only one of my kids likes to eat eggs) and I had eggs and toast. Leah was pretty happy in her bouncer for all of this.

9:00 am

I could tell Leah was getting tired, so I swaddled her up and got her to fall asleep in my arms. Then I put her down to see if she would nap out of my arms. She lasted about 30 minutes that way. While she was down, I did the girls hair and the kids and I did our chores (they take turns sorting the kids' laundry, getting the floor ready to sweep, and cleaning off the table, and I sweep). I also started the laundry and did the breakfast dishes so that our house was ready for school stuff.

9:30 am

Leah started crying, so I got her and let her finish her nap in my arms while the kids practiced their songs for an upcoming concert and did some independent school.

10:30 am

It was time to feed Leah. While I fed her, the kids did an Easter countdown coloring page and an Easter basket craft while listening to their audiobook.

11:30 pm

I got Leah to sleep again and put her down while Ben took a shower. She only lasted 10 minutes this time, but long enough I was able to get some food for myself.

12:00 pm

We turned off our audiobook and the older girls practiced piano while I let Leah finish her nap in my arms again. Then we all got some lunch and Oliver went outside to play in the dirt.

1:00 pm

Leah needed to eat again. The older kids were done with their lists and school, so they got free time. Ashtyn went outside to roller blade and the other girls did more crafts at the table. Oliver played in the dirt for awhile and then he played with magnet blocks.

1:30 pm

Leah was acting fussy, so we spent some time seeing if she needed to burp more and trying some different positions. We ended up putting her in her bouncer and Rylee and Parker sat and talked with her while I got dressed and did my hair.

1:45 pm

Leah was acting tired when I came out from that, so I gave her the binky and bounced her in the bouncer while I did work on my computer. I was really wanting a break from holding her while she slept, but she wasn't staying asleep well in the bouncer. Ben came out and saw, and he took her. He slept on the chair with her while she slept so I could have a break. I got some things (like laundry) done, got some more food, worked on my computer, and helped the kids with stuff (like cleaning up an accident Oliver had, cutting up apples, etc).

4:00 pm

Because she was sleeping so well, I let her sleep until 4 rather than waking her up at 3:30. I got her and fed her while the kids played.

4:30 pm

I put bean dip (from the freezer) in the oven and tried to keep Leah happy (she tends to get a little fussy as the day gets later). I also had the kids do a quick pick up to get ready for dinner. They were a little resistant, so I promised a surprise treat (some frozen fruit cups we had left in the freezer that someone gifted us awhile ago) when they were finished.

5:00 pm

We ate dinner. I tried to get Leah to take a little nap, but she was wide awake with us at the table. When I was done eating, I turned on Ever After (Parker has been asking to watch it, so we got it from the library) while they ate their fruit cups. Then I worked some more on getting Leah to sleep and succeeded, while snuggling Oliver (he loves to come over and ask me to "make a spot" for him).

6:00 pm

I woke up Leah and fed her. Oliver was still snuggling with me. Before the movie ended, he got up and started playing with magnet blocks. I tried to get Leah to sleep again, but it didn't work. She wanted to be awake. Then I passed her to Ben because Oliver had an accident.

7:00 pm

The movie ended and we turned off screens. The day was a pretty warm one, so the kids went out in the back and played until bedtime. Ben still had Leah and she was pretty happy still. She stayed happy until closer to 7:30 and the kids were playing really well in the back.

7:30 pm

We usually start bedtime around now, but since the kids were playing so well, we left them and let them just play. I fed Leah on one side and she zonked out while eating.

8:00 pm

We pulled the kids inside and started bedtime. I took them all upstairs to get changed and Ben brought up the toothbrushes and brushed Oliver's teeth while I started feeding Leah on the other side. Then we did scriptures and prayers and Ben took Oliver into his room to read him a book before bed while I read to the girls out of our book (we're reading Little House on the Prairie right now) and Leah slept on my chest. It's always nice when Leah is eating or sleeping during the kids' bedtime routine rather than being fussy.

8:30 pm

The kids were in bed (Oliver goes right to sleep, the girls can stay up until 9 to read), Leah was still asleep on my chest. Ben and I got out our homemade ice cream. We did the Mini on NYT and talked about his business some before turning on our show.

9:00 pm

I got Leah ready for bed (changed diaper, pajamas, swaddled, etc.). We watched our show together while I fed her. Once she was fed, we laid her down in the office where Ben sleeps (he takes the first shift at night and then I take the second half, though she's starting to sleep a little better at night) and turned off the show.

9:30 pm

I made sure everything was set up in my room for when Leah woke up to eat and got ready for bed. The hardest part of newborn days is the unpredictability of if and how well the baby will sleep, but going to sleep early and getting at least a couple of hours of sleep in right away while Ben has her has been a lifesaver for me.

Our day was fairly typical of what the last week or so has looked like. I know that as Leah gets older, our routine will change to fit her needs some and things will start to feel a little easier eventually as well. Right now, we're trying to get the basics in. As she gets older, we can start adding more back in (like working out, date nights, pickleball drills), but for now, I'm happy with how things are going.

What is your routine like right now? What is the biggest challenge you are facing? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!