10 Tiny Changes That Make Our Home Run More Smoothly

Since becoming a wife, then a mother a few years later, I’ve felt as if caring for a home and raising little kids can be constant balancing of healthy habits and rhythms. I once heard that good routines are like an on-ramp to successful living. And with over a decade of experience trying to instill these routines into my own day, I’ve come to realize that life is truly more simple when rhythms are part of it.

I’ve discovered the magic of “game changing rhythms”, like our kids chore routine, afternoon quiet time, or weekly meal planning, but then there’s all the tiny ones that might not play as significant of a role in our day but still create meaningful direction and clarity when added up.

In this post, I’m sharing 10 tiny changes that make our home run more smoothly— because even the little pieces are absolutely worth sharing!

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1. A Shoe Bin by the Front Door

Instead of everyone dropping shoes in a heap, we toss them straight into one big bin right inside the door. It instantly cuts down on clutter, keeps the entryway looking neat, and makes it easy for everyone to grab their shoes when we head out.

2. Bedtime Audiobooks

Our two youngest used to turn bedtime into a circus—climbing in bunkbeds, giggling, running around, changing pj’s several times…absolute fun but pure chaos! Now they get tucked in and listen to Adventures in Odyssey or another good audiobook for an hour (we used to borrow CD’s but now just use our bluetooth speaker and listen to each day’s episode online). It helps them wind down, stay in bed, and transition to sleep peacefully.

3. Saturday Morning Breakfast Club

I used to make hot breakfasts randomly, but it sometimes felt like one more task on busy homeschool mornings. Now we save special breakfasts for Saturdays. The kids look forward to it all week, and I’m freed up on weekdays for simpler, no-stress meals. Some Saturday favorites are sourdough French toast, ham and cheese quiche, breakfast potatoes, or sourdough chocolate chip pancakes.

4. No Screens on Weekdays

About a year ago, we stopped weekday TV time for the kids because the constant requests were exhausting, especially after giving them the allowed 45 minutes of watching a show. Now, we save screen time for a Friday or Saturday family movie (I’ll compile our list of family movies soon!). After a short adjustment period, the kids stopped asking. We gave up passively watching “junk shows” to having more creative afternoons of playing outside or going to the park.

5. The Magic Number Cleanup Game

When the house needs tidying, I give my kids a “magic number.” If I say 50, they each put away 50 things. It turns cleaning into a clear challenge and keeps them moving without complaints or confusion.

6. Kids Make Their Own Breakfasts

Our older three (10, 8, and 6) can handle simple breakfasts on the weekdays (like cereal, toast, fruit, or yogurt). They get food for themselves while I focus on other tasks or their younger sibling. Mornings run smoother, and they’re gaining independence and confidence in the kitchen.

7. Sibling Responsibility in Small Ways

We encourage our older kids to help with younger siblings in ways that feel natural and helpful—like my 10-year-old putting her toddler brother down for nap, brushing his teeth at bedtime, or making the kids’ lunches on school days. These opportunities have encouraged a strong sibling bond without forcing them to be unnecessarily in charge, and has made life with lots of kids much more manageable!

8. PJ’s, Potty, Teeth (our bedtime route)

At bedtime, we just say, “PJ’s, potty, teeth!” and everyone knows what to do. This simple cue keeps the transition focused and prevents the bedtime chaos that happens when kids lose track of the next step. Even our three-year-old knows the drill and can do some parts independently.

9. Set a Consistent School Start Time

With no outside schedule to dictate how we run our homeschool days, mornings have a tendency to get pushed later and later if we’re not careful to have a firm start time. Setting an 8:30am start keeps everyone moving along with chores and getting ready for the day and allows us to begin lessons before the morning gets away from us.

10. Kids Fold All the Laundry

Having kids fold and put away their own clothes has been a significant help. With four kids, the laundry never ends so sharing the work saves me hours and teaches great life skills. My two older kids have a weekly routine of folding all the towels and napkins, kids’ clothes, and clothes for my husband and myself.

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While these tiny changes I listed may not be monumental or complete game changers, they really add up! Every time I notice something that isn’t working as well as it could, I ask myself what tweak needs to happen. Usually, it doesn’t make much effort to fix (like putting a pretty Ratan bin by the front door to keep our most-worn shoes in) but makes such a big difference in how our days run.

If life at home feels hectic, I’d encourage you to try one or two of these ideas—sometimes several tiny changes can make the most meaningful difference in how peaceful your home feels!

As always, thank you for being here and following along! With nearly 1,000 subscribers and thousands of monthly readers, I’m just so honored to take up a little space in your day! If anything I wrote in this post resonated with you, please let me know! Motherhood is so much more enjoyable with community and the support from others.