10 Small Habits That Make a Big Difference in My Home [from a busy mom of 4]

Life with kids aged 15 to 9 is a beautiful blend of busy schedules, big personalities, and lots of learning—on everyone’s part (including mine!). Over the years, I've realized that it’s not the big gestures or massive routines that keep our home running smoothly—it’s the small, daily habits. The quiet things. The consistent things. The things that, when we skip them, we all feel it.

There have been seasons of change, when one schedule of habits didn’t quite work with the way our life was in that season. In those moments, I would sit down and assess how we can change a few things to help everyone live more intentionally within the home and thrive. But there seem to always be those key elements we keep within the routines because they just work. sometimes they go but like I said before, we definitely feel it when they aren’t a part of our everyday.

So as the tittle said, Here are 10 small habits that make a big difference in our home:

1. Starting the Day with a Reset Before the day fully kicks off—usually after breakfast and right before school gets kicked off—we all do a 5-minute reset. It might mean making beds, opening blinds, or resetting the kitchen. Starting from order helps everyone feel calm and clear-headed.

2. Shoes Off at the Door Simple, but transformative. Less dirt, less vacuuming, and fewer “where’s my shoe?” meltdowns. We’ve got a shoe rack, a basket for flip flops in the summer, a trey for wet boots in the spring and it actually works (most of the time!).

3. One Load of Laundry a Day This tiny rhythm saves my sanity. It doesn’t pile up, and it’s manageable—even on the busiest days. The kids help sort, and put away their clothes. It's become second nature. We also have seasons of no folding, just throwing in drawers! this was a game changer for me!

4. Evening Kitchen Tidy-Up After dinner, everyone pitches in for a 10-minute kitchen reset. Counters cleared, dishwasher loaded, floor swept. Waking up to a clean kitchen feels like a gift to my future self.

5. Weekly Family Meeting I have to admit, this one has been off the table for quite some time but It is quite essential, I need to bring it back! Every Sunday evening, or pick any night of the week that works, we gather for a quick check-in. We look at the week ahead, talk about what’s working (and what’s not), and everyone shares something they’re excited for. It brings connection and clarity to the whole week.

6. “Is This Where It Lives?” Rule I try to teach the kids that everything has a home. If something’s out of place, we ask, “Is this where it lives?” It’s a gentle reminder that helps all of us stay organized without nagging.

7. Tech-Free Meal Times I saw someone post about the tower of power- where they stack the phones in a tower during meals… this is a clear way for everyone to know that people in the room take priority. The tower of power give you power back over your conversations and over relationships that are most important.

8. “Ten-Minute Reset” Twice a Day I call a reset twice a day. A quick 10-15 minute reset of the main spaces. You would be surprised how fast we can get things done when we set a timer and everyone picks a room and gets after it. It helps manage the messes through out our day.

9. Thank You Notes & Little Gratitudes Whether it’s a quick note for one of the kids or just a text to a friend to say “I’m thinking about you”, we try to practice gratitude regularly. Modeling that for our kids has created a beautiful ripple effect of kindness.

10. Saying “Good Morning” and “Good Night” This might sound too simple to be powerful, but starting and ending the day with intentional greetings anchors our home in love. Even our teens still occasionally seek out good morning hugs… more like pats on the back at times but it’s a habit we have been forming since they were little and it has stuck.

None of these habits are earth-shattering. And trust me, we’re not perfect at them. Some days the kitchen isn’t clean, or the laundry waits another day. That’s okay. The point is: these small, daily habits add up. They create rhythm, teamwork, and a home that (usually!) runs with a little more peace and a lot more love.

If you have small habits that work magic in your home, I’d love to hear them! Let’s swap ideas and keep lifting each other up.

—
💛 From my busy, loving home to yours

Thank you for saving our post and sharing it! It means the world to us!