It’s no secret that moms have busy lives. From managing work life, family life, and personal life, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and exhausted. In this article, we’ll go over how to choose a planner that suits each mom’s unique lifestyle and needs as well as the overall best planners for moms.
Choosing a Planner You’ll Actually Use
The best planners for moms are planners that mom will actually use! While it may seem redundant to make a plan for buying a planner, it’ll help you make the best choice possible and get the best use out of your organizer.
Does the Planner Suit Your Lifestyle?
Each planner will have a different layout than the next, so understanding what your needs are will help you to better choose which is right for you.
Moms Who Need a Strict Hourly Plan
Most planners will be more week and month focused, which may not be the best planners for a mom who wants an hourly layout. Typically, a daily planner will be quite thick and will have a day-to-day focus rather than a weekly spread.
Daily planners are typically much thicker because of the daily sheets provided. Because of this, many of them will be 3 or 6-month planners, otherwise, a 12 or 18-month planner could end up looking and feeling like lugging around a phonebook.
Moms Who Want a Bird’s Eye View of Her Week
Weekly planners are perfect for the mom who wants to see her entire week in front of her. Rather than in-depth day planners, a weekly planner will give you just enough space to write down to-do lists.
Most weekly planners will have a weekly task or goal section along with the breakdown of each day.
Moms Who Want to Remember Important Dates
If you’re someone who needs a planner for a basic structure rather than in-depth to-dos, a monthly planner will be a great help. This would be one of the best planners for a mom who enjoys simplicity and doesn’t want to make a ton of lists.
What is Your Planning Style?
There’s no wrong way to make a plan, however, there is an ideal method for each and every mom. Although there are a lot of planner trends, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be right for you.
After all, a planner should help you manage tasks, not give you a new one.
The Crafty Mom
For a crafty mom, planning can be a lot more fun when adding colorful pens, planner stickers, and stylish washi tape on each page. Planning a day can be an expression of art, rather than a super structured to-do list.
If you’re someone who’s really into arts and crafts, make sure you still find a method to utilize your planner rather than decorate it. We find that it works best to choose one day out of the week to add some basic embellishments with plenty of room to add notes if something comes up.
Each day, you can add some more of your artistic touch, giving you enough motivation to go through your to-do list without spending your whole time decorating.
Accessories for the crafty mom may include:
- Washi tape with fun designs
- Colored pencils or pens to add your own sketches
- Planning or decorative stickers
- Fuji film camera (if you’d like to keep track of your memories)
The Structured Mom
A mom who craves structure may feel overwhelmed by a planner with too much artistic space, and just needs something that keeps her ideas and plans in one clean place.
The ideal planner for the structured mom will be one that has an organized layout. Before purchasing your planner, you should have an idea of what types of additional lists you may need. Most planners will likely have a designated spot for at least a few of these things, but if not, look for one that has space for you to create your own list.
Some lists structured moms may need are:
- A monthly, weekly, and/or daily to-do list
- Self-care or workout routine
- Meal planning
- Budget or spending
The Minimalistic Mom
For the minimalistic mom, both the crafty and overly functional planners will create more overwhelm rather than reducing it. Not to worry though, there are planners that will have all of the bells and whistles with a simpler design.
Just because you prefer minimalism doesn’t mean you have to go without style. There are many planners that will have cute drawings or motivational quotes throughout the pages if that’s what you’d prefer.
What the minimalistic mom may want to look out for:
- A planner with a simple, repetitive layout
- A planner that has space to keep track of the necessities without all of the extra lists
- Something smaller and compact
What Goals Will Your Planner Help You to Achieve?
Moms have a lot going on between kid’s sports activities, work, and their own life. Planners can make an excellent tool to use to achieve big goals, whether in your work or personal life.
Maybe you want to start focusing on doing more together as a family. For this goal, you could use your planner to set family-oriented goals, schedule weekly family gathering dates, and ensuring you and your hubby get your alone time.
For a mom who wants that next promotion at work, she can utilize her planner to set work goals in order to land the position.
If you’re a mom who just needs a little more “me time”, a planner can be a way to schedule time set aside for yourself. For an extra way to spoil yourself each month, check out these subscription boxes for moms.
How to set goals prior to purchasing your planner:
- Identify your main goals by breaking down a goal for each area of your life
- Start with the goal that needs the most attention or is most important to you
- Break it down into actionable steps to create new monthly goals
- Break down even further into weekly and possibly daily goals
- Add your monthly, weekly, and daily goals to your planner to create a plan for success
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Planner
Different Types of Binding
It may seem like an unimportant feature, but if a planner doesn’t open in a way that feels simple, you may never open it at all.
The most popular is the spiral-bound planner. What’s nice about this binding is being able to open to the right page and lay the planner flat on your desk. For some moms though, the spiral may make it harder to write.
Softbound and hardcover planners tend to be less bulky and are easier to take on the go. For the mama who wants simplicity and needs minimal customization, this type may be right for you.
Refillable planners with disks or rings allow for full customization. You can have the ability to add or remove pages, allowing you to determine the size of your planner. For some of these, you may need to purchase an additional hole punch that’s specifically made for each planner.
Are There Any Extras You Need?
Once you take some time to determine the type of planning mom you are and what your goals are for your planner, you should have a good idea of the extras you need.
For crafty moms, there are a variety of planners that come with the planning stickers at no additional cost. You may need to invest in some colorful pens or pencils, but if you’re crafty, you may already have everything you need.
If you’re a minimalistic momma, rather than looking for extras you may be looking for less. However, for a mom who needs structure, there may be specific pages you need to be included like goal or budget setting pages.
What’s Your Budget?
Planner costs have a huge range, so determine how much you’re able to spend on a planner. If you’re able to splurge a little, then you can more easily find a planner that will fit all of your needs, especially if you’re a crafty or functional mom.
Best Planner Brands
With so many different planners to choose from, you may be wondering which are the best brands overall. These brands are known and loved by thousands, meaning they’ve already been tested and approved by those who use them.
Amy Knapp’s planners are one of the best options because they’re personalized to each and every type of person. Her family planner highlights important aspects that standard planners may leave out.
Another brand that’s well-known for producing high-quality planners is the Legend Planner. These planners won’t suit everyone’s needs, but those who use them absolutely love them for their ample journal space and focus on self-care.
Below, we’ve listed planners by these brands, but have also listed other options that may not be as well known but are still well-received.
Best Planners For Moms
We made sure to search through all of the best planners for moms available so that each mama can find something that perfectly suits her needs.
1. LUX Productivity PRO A5 Planner
For the functional mom, the LUX Productivity PRO A5 Planner will allow you to completely track and personalize every detail of your life. This planner is made from vegan leather and opens up to reveal a binder-like planner, allowing you to reorganize pages, add in new pages, or remove those that you’ve already written in.
It has a customizable daily and goal habit tracker, a section for exercise and water intake, as well as finance and project management. Keep track of your progress with the weekly goal setting and weekly reflection sheets. This planner will allow you to notice patterns in distractions so you’re better able to make the necessary changes.
We love that this planner gives you so much bang for your buck. It’s highly functional and customizable while having plenty of room to add other important items or planning materials within the pockets of the planner.
Pros:
- The binder style allows you to add or remove any pages as you wish, making customization simple
- There are task, goal, and time sections for just about any need you may have
- Comes in a variety of colors to allow you to find one that suits your style
- It has various pockets, business or credit card slots, an elastic pen holder, and a metal clasp to keep all of your items safely secured
Cons:
- There aren’t any dividers, so finding the right page may be challenging
- The monthly calendar is on one page, so the slots are too small for a mom who needs to add in a lot of monthly notes
2. Amy Knapp’s Family Organizer: 17-Month Weekly Planner for Mom
Moms who just need a birdseye view of important tasks and dates will love Amy Knapp’s Family Organizer. It includes a year at a glance, monthly and weekly spreads with plenty of note-taking space, as well additional notes pages to customize how you need.
This stylish planner also has a weekly grocery list as well as a menu that moms can easily take out when going to the grocery store. You’ll also have a section to keep track of your child’s babysitter and friends, which can give more peace of mind.
We love that this planner allows you to keep track for over a year, and because it’s personalized for families, it’s easy to create and achieve every family goal you set in place.
Pros:
- Comes with color-coding stickers, allowing you to easily find related tasks
- Has perforated pages that you can remove and take grocery shopping
- Multiple organizational pockets to store planner or on-the-go items
- 17-months long, so you can go over a year without purchasing another planner
Cons:
- Grocery list pages are on the weekly spread, so if removing, you’ll have to remove the week as well
3. Exhausted Mom Medium Daily Weekly Monthly
Raising tiny humans is exhausting — we know it and this planner knows it. As much as you love your kids, you’re tired, and you may need a little help to keep everything organized.
This Exhausted Mom planner will be like an assistant you can keep in your purse. At 6 x 0.5 x 8 inches, it’s small enough to carry with you so that you can check off your to-dos on the go.
Inside, you’ll find 2-page spreads with a spacious calendar grid, a dot grid for personalized planning, and a lined section to add in any notes, tasks, or goals you need to track. Each week, you get a 2-page spread that gives you plenty of room for planning out your week.
We love that this planner is spacious but functional for the tired mama who uses it. Many moms find themselves going from place to place and need something that can come along for the ride.
Pros:
- Functional, but compact so you can keep it with you on the go
- Comes with planning stickers for additional personalization and color-coordination
- Minimalistic with functionality, allowing you to plan without feeling overwhelmed
- Has plenty of space for adding in any notes or additional tracking you may need
Cons:
- Doesn’t contain any pockets or pouches
4. Daily Task Checklist Planner
Keeping track of all of the daily tasks that need to be done can be challenging for anyone, but especially a mom. The Daily Task Checklist planner allows you to utilize daily spreads that organize all of your daily to-dos, lists, and goals.
This planner will also be helpful for a mom who has big goals and wants to reverse engineer them. By creating your monthly goals, you can then easily break them down into weekly and daily tasks.
Each day contains a lengthy to-do list, a section for gratitude, a block for important times, and a section to write things you pick up. There’s also a meal planner, water tracker, and space to write in fitness goals/plans.
With this planner, you can take the guesswork out of each day. Rather than having a small section for each day on a weekly spread, you get two full sheets for each and every day.
Pros:
- More room for keeping track of your days than other types of planners
- Comes in a variety of stylish designs that will match just about any mom’s style
- Daily tasks are organized in a clean layout for full functionality
- Mark off your checklist each and every day
Cons:
- This planner is a 3-month planner, so you’ll need a new planner each quarter
5. Legend Planner – Deluxe Weekly & Monthly Life Planner to Hit Your Goals & Live Happier
The legend planner will be one of the best planners for a mom who just doesn’t have time for herself. You’ll have a space to prioritize your goals while taking time for self-care in a compact journal-style planner.
With the sections that include creating your personal vision, goal setting, journal prompts, and more, you can get crystal clear on what you want in your personal life to make it a reality. Keep track of all of your life goals in one chic place.
Don’t let the journal layout fool you, there are still monthly and weekly spreads with plenty of room to write out your daily tasks, important dates, work to-dos, personal to-dos, and habit tracking. This is the perfect planner for the crafty mom who wants plenty of daily space to write and doodle while maintaining functionality.
We love that this planner enables moms to maintain a personal, family, and work-life balance. Moms can easily forget to set time aside for themselves, so we appreciate that this planner doubles as a self-care journal.
Pros:
- In-depth journaling section that gives mom an outlet for herself
- Has plenty of planning sections to keep track of not just her personal life, but work and family life, as well
- Comes with a lot of stickers including planning, quotes, checklists, and more for ultimate personalization
- Contains stickers for full customization and additional planning
Cons:
- No pockets or pouches to store additional cards or documents
6. Hydrangeas Mom’s Weekly Planner
Another planner that’s sure to capture the eye of any minimalistic mom. It has just about everything you need without being overwhelming or all over the place.
Not only is there plenty of space to write out all of your monthly and weekly tasks and important dates, but there’s also a section with to-do lists to give that satisfaction of checking off boxes. You get a master weekly plan as well as a column for each member of the family.
Each month is tabbed, so you can easily open to the right spot every time. For moms who have caregivers, you’ll find two sheets that have all the information needed to give to a babysitter or nanny.
We love that this planner has all of the bells and whistles while still remaining functional. Plus, it will last you 18 months, so no need to worry about buying a new calendar quarterly.
Pros:
- Plenty of room to write in your monthly and weekly tasks
- Hardbound cover that allows your hand to freely write from side to side
- With the predictable layout, you can get all of your tasks written with ease
- Included checklists to utilize whenever you need to
Cons:
- This planner is quite large and will be more challenging to take on the go than other planners
Best Planners For Moms FAQ
Q: What Should I Use the Note Pages For?
A: Most of these planners will come with note pages that many moms don’t know what to do with. However, they can be very helpful for additional functionality you may haven’t considered.
Some ways to utilize the note section:
- Goal setting
- Brain dumping
- Cleaning routines
- Budget tracker
- Bucket lists
- Family goals
- School projects
Q: What’s the Best Weekly Planning Process?
A: Each mama is going to have a different schedule. For most, the weekend is a great time to break out the planner and go over everything in order to prepare for the week ahead.
Make sure to talk with your kids, husband, and anyone else who you may need to get important dates and times from prior to sitting down and planning.
Most planners are Monday-Sunday to keep the weekend together, so getting ahead of the week on Sunday makes the most sense. However, if you’re busy on Sundays, that’s okay.
For some, it may be easier to break down each week into sections and only plan a few days at a time. Other moms may benefit from waking up a few minutes early and creating their daily to-do lists before the day starts.
Here are some steps to take as you begin to plan:
- Identify important dates, times, and tasks that are coming up
- Brain dump which household tasks need to be finished, such as deep cleaning the bathroom
- Begin by writing down the most important tasks first
- Make sure to write the less important tasks separately to avoid overwhelming yourself
- Add stickers or embellishments ahead of time or as you go
When planning, keep in mind that your planner is there to help you succeed. Just because you have a lot of tasks written down, doesn’t necessarily mean they all need to be crossed off.
Some moms find that they overwhelm themselves by looking at their to-dos as what they must do right away, rather than keeping track of everything that needs to be done overall.
Final Thoughts
The best planners for moms come in so many different styles, layouts, customization abilities, and functionality. By identifying which type of planning mom you are and what your main goals are, choosing the right planner will be much easier.
For crafty moms, we think the best option would be the Legend Planner. With so much space every day, you have plenty of room to journal and add the stickers it comes with.
The LUX Productivity PRO A5 Planner is a great option for a mom who craves functionality. With the ability to rearrange, remove, and add pages you can easily make this planner everything you want it to be.
A minimalistic mom will really enjoy Amy Knapp’s Family Organizer. It has everything you need in a planner in a simple layout that gives you a quick view of your months and week. Because it’s 17 months, you won’t have to worry about buying a new planner each quarter.