The Perfect Evening Routine Checklist for Working Moms

Inside: How to create an evening routine? Rock your busy working mom schedule with this evening routine for working moms and organization tips! Grab the evening routine checklist agenda printable!

Every night you go to bed dreading the morning rush. Every evening you just want to sit on the couch and relax, exhaustion taking over.

Sometimes it feels like an endless cycle, doesn’t it? But mornings do not need to be chaotic. And evenings can be a fabulous way to be productive to prepare for the next day. Get ready to plan your working mom daily checklist the night before! I love sharing mom hacks and morning and evening routines for working moms.

Updated in 2023.

Table of Contents

How to create an evening routine for working moms?

Do you have an after work routine for moms? If not, you absolutely need one! Here’s a checklist of everything that needs to be in your working mom routine for your busy evenings. You’ll find everything you need to create your perfect evening routine for working parents. This post is your guide to the evening routine checklist for working moms.

Do you have an organized working mom schedule? What does your evening routine schedule look like? Let’s chat about some mom organizing!

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Why evening routine ideas are important for working parents

Just like we need a good working mom morning routine, we also need an organized working mom evening routine.

Both round out your organized working mom schedule and are important pieces of the overall picture! Let’s learn how to establish an evening routine!

Why Do I Need an Evening Routine?

We all know that feeling of finally getting home after a long day, plopping down on the couch, and letting out a deep breath. But before you can fully relax, you remember all the things you still need to do: finish that work project, walk the dog, make dinner, do laundry, and get ready for tomorrow.

It can be tempting to just keep scrolling through TikTok or Netflix until it’s time for bed, but having an evening routine can help you wind down and prepare for a good night’s sleep.

While it’s easiest to be lazy and not do much in the evening, I find that contributes to more stressful mornings. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t like my mornings to be extra stressful. It’s complicated enough getting myself and a tiny human ready to leave the house in the morning, go to daycare drop off and get to work.

It’s not enough to have a to-do list, but you need to know what important things are coming up next so you don’t have any surprises. Planning ahead for the next day, and looking ahead for the next week can help us stay on top of things and fight off mom brain.

An evening routine helps signal to your body that it’s time to start winding down for the day. Just like we need routines in the morning to start our day off right, we need routines at night to end our day on a positive note. Having an evening routine can help reduce stress and anxiety, and promote better sleep.

What does an organized evening routine for working moms look like?

I would suggest having two evening routine checklists. One night time routine checklist will be a daily evening routine, and the second evening checklist will be your weekly evening routine. You will also have your daily routine with your baby’s bedtime.

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Evening Routine Checklist: Daily to-do list for your evening routine after work

What should be included in an evening routine for working moms? Your daily evening routine checklist should contain the big categories you want to hit, but the details may look slightly different depending on what you have going on. This will be your regular evening routine after daycare and after getting home from work.

So what’s on your evening routine? It can be as simple as:

Kitchen tasks/After-dinner clean-up
Homework/backpack check/diaper bag check
Packing lunches/meal prep for the next day
Bedtime routine for the kids
Mommy self-care time
Planning tasks for the next day/reviewing calendar
Laying out clothes for the next day
Putting everything that needs to go out tomorrow by the door or in your bag (or in your car)

These are all important line items for your evening routine as a working mom!

Kitchen Tasks/After-dinner clean-up

Evening routines typically start after dinner. So start yours with the kitchen tasks you need to do every night. What might that look like for you? After-dinner clean-up doesn’t have to be a chore. With a few simple tips, you can make it a breeze.

Putting away leftovers.
Washing dishes/setting the dishwasher.
Packing lunches for the next day.
Maybe a quick tidy up of counters? Wipe down of surfaces.
Feeding pets/letting dogs out for their last potty break.
Set the coffee pot schedule.

1. Put away all the dishes immediately after dinner. This will prevent them from piling up in the sink and make it easier to keep your kitchen clean. Either hand wash them or load the dishwasher.

Here’s a dishwasher busy mom tip – run the dishwasher in the morning if it is full, not in the evening. That way, you don’t have to unload it in the morning rush to load breakfast dishes. Run it after breakfast, unload it before dinner.

Wash any baby bottles for use overnight or the next day.

2. Wipe down the surfaces in the kitchen you used for dinner – countertops, stovetop, and table. This will help keep your kitchen looking clean and tidy and keep ants or other critters from finding crumbs.

3. Take out the trash and recycling if it is full. This will help keep your home smelling fresh and clean. I don’t take our kitchen trash to the garbage can daily – only when it gets full. Unless, of course, you did some cooking and have containers from raw chicken to stink up the room. Then take it out that day regardless if the trash is full.

4. This one’s a nice to have! Sweep or vacuum the floor to pick up any crumbs or dirt that may have been tracked in during dinner. We certainly don’t have the energy for this daily, but it helps with general upkeep.

Homework/backpack check/diaper bag check

Homework: Has everyone finished their homework for the day? If not, now is the time to get it done so everyone can relax and enjoy the rest of their evening.

If you have school-age children, be sure to check their homework at the end of the day. Homework is a completely separate topic, and I’ve shared some tips on my back to school roundup. We like to do the homework right away after school so my son can earn his iPad time. Make sure any worksheets go back in the backpack when completed.

Backpack check: Make sure everyone’s backpack is packed and ready for the next day.

You’ll want to make sure the backpack has refilled water, graded paperwork removed, and all writing utensils put back.

Diaper bag check: Make sure the diaper bag is fully stocked with fresh diapers, wipes, change of clothes, and any formula needs.

Packing lunches/meal prep for the next day

When it comes to packing lunches, meal prep is key for making the morning routine go smoothly. By taking a few minutes in the evening to pack lunchboxes and snacks, you can save yourself time and stress in the morning.

Pre-pack as much as possible. Wash and chop veggies, cook eggs, portion out snacks into baggies or containers. This will make it easy to just grab and go in the morning.

Check your meal plan for the next day to see if something needs to be taken our of the freezer for the next day. If your meal plan has a slow cooker meal, set a reminder or place the slow cooker out on the counter to help you remember to set it in the morning. (Story time, I’ve had to come back home from work at lunch time and set a slow cooker out on high to make dinner happen since I forgot in the morning.)

Here are tips for packing school lunch your kids will actually eat, and here are tips for your evening meal plans.

Bedtime routine for the kids

As a working mom, it’s important to have an evening routine for the kids that helps them wind down and get ready for bed. This can help avoid bedtime battles and make the whole process go more smoothly.

To start, establish a regular bedtime and stick to it as much as possible. This will help create a sense of predictability for the kids. Then, about 30 minutes before bedtime, start the winding down process. Turn off screens, put away toys, and start getting into PJs. Next, brush teeth and read stories together. Finally, tuck the kids into bed and give them kisses goodnight.

Here’s a special baby bedtime routine to help with the littlest of your pack.

Mommy self-care time

After a long day of work and taking care of the kids, it’s important for moms to have some time to themselves. Make sure your routine includes some form of self-care. This could be anything from reading your favorite book to taking a relaxing bath.

If you’re looking to relax, take a hot bath or shower. Add some soothing aromatherapy or read a good book. If you’re looking to rejuvenate, try exercise or stretching. And if you need to unwind, pour yourself a glass of wine or make yourself a cup of tea.

Self-care is an important piece! We have to remember ourselves, mamas. We are often putting ourselves last. And that’s a shame because we can’t give others our best when we’re not at our best.

I like to shower at night before bed rather than in the morning because it relaxes me and helps me sleep. It also saves me tons of time in the morning, obviously.

I also love a warm cup of tea when winding down. It helps so much!

This might also be your workout time if you’re not a morning person. I really need to start adding exercise to my evening routine!

Finally, be sure you’re going to bed on time to get enough sleep. Yes, I know, mom life means we are up at all hours with our littles. But we can still try to get more sleep by not going to bed after midnight (just me?) – so set a decent bedtime for yourself so you can at least attempt to be in bed for 8 hours, even if you don’t get to sleep for all of them and end up getting up with a child a few times.

No matter how you spend your self-care time, the important thing is that you’re taking care of yourself. You deserve it!

Planning tasks for the next day/reviewing calendar

An important step in your evening routine is to plan out your tasks for the next day and review your calendar.

Check these items on your calendar:

Appointments
Scheduled meetings
Errands that need to be run
Daycare or school event

Any scheduled events that need preparation, do that as part of your evening routine. That way, you won’t be rushing in the morning looking for some medical records when you’re already late.

Plan for tomorrow – How do working moms organize their time?

Then, start looking at your planner and reviewing what’s due tomorrow. Make a list of everything you need to do and estimate how long each task will take.

Take a moment after all the chaos of the evening is done (i.e. children are in bed, and dishes and food have been put away) and think about the next day. Check your command center for the upcoming schedule.

Write out the tasks you need to get done tomorrow – are there any specific things that absolutely must be completed? Add in any meetings and appointments, so you know when you’re not available to work on those tasks. Add any phone calls you need to make, and any errands you need to run before or after work.

A great place to start is my Mind Dump Journal and Planner! Get your brain dump printable here:

I love to write out my list and brain dump in a spiral notebook. If you do as well, you might want to use my lovely notebook journal I have on my Zazzle store.

Workingmom Boss Hashtag Planner Notebook
by FabWorkingMomLife

If you’re a night owl, you might want to do your daily gratitude practice in the evening. Review the day, reflect on what went well and what you’re thankful for, and journal that.

Laying out clothes for the next day

For working moms, the evening is often the only time to get things done. One of the most important tasks is laying out clothes for the next day. This simple routine can save precious time in the morning and help ensure that you’re starting the day off on the right foot.

I hate that “I don’t know what to wear” feeling in the morning. I suggest you plan what you are wearing tomorrow and lay the clothing out. Getting dressed in the morning is hard for me – I keep staring at the closet and not seeing anything. So I like to plan out my outfit the night before when my brain is still working (as my brain isn’t yet working when I first wake up). Having an organized working mom wardrobe with easy to wear and mix and match pieces is key here, too.

Choose your outfit first. This will help you narrow down what other items you’ll need for the day. Then, lay out everything you’ll need, including shoes, jewelry, and any other accessories.

Involve children in the process! Let them pick out their own clothes or help you choose yours. I lay out my preschooler’s clothes too, for easier getting ready in the morning. That really helps with the morning fog. He’s starting to be able to help pick out his clothes and lay them out with me, so I’m looking forward to having less involvement in this line item soon.

I also like to have my son sleep in his school clothes for tomorrow, which helps avoid any morning getting dressed battles. He usually wears comfortable athletic clothing anyway, which is fine to sleep in.

Pack Diaper Bag and your Mom Purse and Putting everything that needs to go out tomorrow by the door or in your bag (or in your car)

Think about what you need for daycare. Do you need to add diapers/pull-ups? Did you wash that blanket (my toddler loves this airplane blanket) for daycare? Check your child’s change of clothes (in case some were used yesterday).

Pack your own bag – do you work out after work? If so, put a clean set of clothes in the gym bag. Maybe replace the water bottle. Check your purse for random receipts and anything that needs to come out and go somewhere else in the house, and make sure you have your wallet, phone, keys, and other essentials.

I like to corral everything I need for tomorrow. If I need to bring something to school or daycare, that goes right by the door the night before so I can’t miss it!

If it’s something that can be in the car overnight, it goes straight in the car the evening before. For example, if you’re going to yoga after work, stick that yoga mat in the car and it’s ready.

If I need certain paperwork, it goes in my bag.

Grab your Evening Routine Checklist printable

Get the Evening Routine Checklist on Etsy

What’s the #1 tip for working moms that saves time? An organized working mom evening routine, of course!

A well-thought-out evening routine checklist can save you a lot of time in the morning and throughout the day!

The key here is routine. It’s something specific you do during a set time. That way, you don’t forget. That way it becomes a habit. And that routine is a system.

Implementing an organized evening plan for the next day is crucial and helps make the morning run more efficiently.

How to start creating an evening routine

We all know that a mother’s work is never done. But what about when the kids are in bed and it’s time for mom to wind down for the evening? That’s where having a solid evening routine comes in handy. Here are a few tips on how to get started creating your own evening routine.

Start by identifying what you want to accomplish in your evening routine. Whether it’s taking some time for yourself, getting organized for the next day, or just relaxing, be clear on what your goals are.

Think about what causes you the most stress each evening? Then, what causes you the most stress each morning? These stress-inducing pain points and tasks can be simplified and made less chaotic by including them in your evening routine.

Set a reasonable timeframe for your routine. You don’t want to bite off more than you can chew and end up feeling even more stressed out than when you started.

What is a simple evening routine? How long should an evening routine be?

I would say let’s not make it last longer than an hour because we will not want to do it. Start small, don’t overwhelm yourself before you even get going. You can always get more elaborate and add more tasks to your evening routine as you go.

Remember, when changing your routine there’s an important trick: change one thing at a time. So if you want to add a new routine, pick one. Master it. Then add the next.

What is a good evening routine schedule?

Start after dinner, end with bedtime. The exact timing will vary with your household schedule and needs. This evening routine is also your after work schedule. It can also be called an after work routine. What tasks or activities are you doing after you get home from work and before you go to sleep for the night. How are you closing out your day, and setting up for your next day?

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You can really start working on this routine at any time. You don’t have to wait for Sunday night for example. I suggest taking notes on the things you’re already doing after work and before you turn off the lights, and see what patterns are already established.

The easiest routines are habits so evaluate where your time is spent and how your evenings are already going, and you might find you have a skeleton for a great nighttime routine already.

When establishing a nighttime routine, there are a few things to consider. The first is when your child should start going to bed. A good rule of thumb is that children younger than 12 months old should sleep 12-16 hours per day, including naps. Children 1-2 years old should sleep 11-14 hours per day, and children 3-5 years old should sleep 10-13 hours per day.

After determining when your child should be going to bed, the next step is creating the nighttime routine itself. This usually includes winding down for 30 minutes before bedtime by reading stories, playing calming games, or singing lullabies. You can also use this time to give your child a bath and put them in pajamas. Once they’re in bed, leave the room while still talking to them in a calm voice until they fall asleep.

Weekly ideas for your evening weekend routine (Sunday night routine)

Once a week, you want to do a thorough planning session. I like to do this on Sundays (read more about Sunday prep).

Do a brain dump of everything you know that is coming up in the next week, including events and all the tasks you want or need to get to in the upcoming days.

Then review your family wall calendar or your digital Google calendar. What important events are coming up? Are there special dress-up days at daycare or school? Do you need to remember to bring a particular toy for show and tell? Do you have any lunch or dinner plans you can’t forget?

Plan out your meals for the week. Make sure you get your grocery shopping done and maybe even do some meal prepping if you have more complicated recipes on your meal plan. Doing that prep on the weekend makes it quicker to cook the meals on the weeknight.

Put all these in your planner for the week, with your weekly to-do list.

Get the Evening Routine Checklist on Etsy

Grab your Busy Mom Master Agenda Printable

I made you a present! I know many people love to write down their to-do lists and schedules; something about writing makes it more meaningful to the brain. So here’s a master agenda printable you can use as your working mom daily routine checklist and planner, to write out your schedule of appointments and important tasks!

Consider this your working mom schedule template!

Remember – write out your master agenda plan the night before!

Get the working mom daily schedule here.

You can use the lovely busy working mom schedule daily agenda printable I have prepared for you for this practice. Grab this busy mom schedule template for your working mom daily schedule.