The Sunday Scaries Cure
5 Weekly Planning Hacks for Working Moms of Elementary School Kids
It starts creeping in around 4 p.m. on Sunday.
That tightness in your chest. The endless to-do list running in your mind. The low-level dread of another week full of school drop-offs, work meetings, forgotten field trip forms, and the question: What’s for dinner?
Yep. The Sunday Scaries.
And for working moms of elementary-aged kids, it hits differently. Your brain is juggling school schedules, work priorities, lunchboxes, laundry and oh right your own needs too. It feels like you’ve already run a marathon before Monday even begins.
But what if your Sunday evenings could feel calm, even joyful?
What if your whole week could start with clarity instead of chaos?
You don’t need a brand new planner or a 4 a.m. miracle morning. You just need a simple weekly planning system that actually fits your life.
Let’s dive into 5 weekly planning hacks that can cure the Sunday Scaries and help you take back control of your time.
1. Do Your Weekly Planning on Fridays (Not Sundays)
If you only take one tip from this post make it this one.
Most moms try to do their planning on Sunday night, after the kids are in bed. But by then? You’re mentally done. It becomes just another thing on your list, and it’s easy to skip.
Instead, try planning your week on Friday afternoon. You’re still in work-mode, you know what’s on your radar for the week ahead, and you can close your laptop with a plan already in place.
That means:
You get your actual weekend back
You start Monday morning already clear on what matters
You avoid the “Sunday spiral” completely
2. Use One Calendar for Work, School and Life
If you’re toggling between three different apps a paper planner, a work calendar, and the school PTA calendar no wonder you feel like you’re dropping balls.
Centralize everything into ONE digital calendar.
Google Calendar works great (and it’s free). Share it with your partner, color-code your roles and get your full mental load out of your head and into a system.
Bonus tip: Set weekly recurring events for things like library book return days, permission slip deadlines or snack duty. Future-you will be so grateful.
3. Schedule the "Invisible To-Dos"
You know the ones: Sign the reading log. Buy the birthday gift. Prep for the Wednesday team presentation. None of these are technically on your calendar, but they live rent-free in your brain.
Instead of hoping you remember, plan to remember.
During your Friday planning session, look ahead and schedule small blocks of time for these invisible to-dos. That way, you’re not trying to bake cookies at 10 p.m. the night before the class party.
This one tip can reduce mental clutter immediately.
4. Sync With Your Family on Sunday (Without Planning From Scratch)
Sunday night can still be useful if it’s a short family sync, not a solo planning scramble.
Take 10 minutes to:
Review the calendar with your partner
Preview the week with your kids (yes, even little ones)
Remind everyone of what’s coming
This builds shared mental load and sets expectations so you’re not the only one remembering spirit week and picture day.
When you already did your planning on Friday, this becomes a quick touchpoint not a full-on project.
5. Color Code Your Calendar By Role
Moms wear a lot of hats: team leader, snack packer, birthday RSVP-er, dog walker, dinner decider.
Color coding helps you see how you’re spending your time and rebalance if needed.
Try this breakdown:
Blue: Work tasks
Green: Family logistics
Yellow: Personal time (yes, schedule it!)
Pink: Kids’ events
When you see a week that’s 90% blue and 0% yellow… it’s a visual nudge to protect your bandwidth.
What Happens When You Plan Ahead Like This?
The difference is immediate:
You wake up on Monday already knowing what matters
You stop reacting and start leading
Your week flows instead of fights you
You feel like the CEO of your calendar, not its employee
And the best part? It only takes 20 minutes a week to get there.
Ready to Make This Your New Normal?
Working moms are ditching the overwhelm and taking back control of their calendars with the Weekly Planning Blueprint.
✅ Learn my exact 20-minute Friday planning routine
✅ Get a printable checklist + video walkthrough
✅ Feel calm, clear, and in control of your week
Because the Sunday Scaries aren’t just annoying, they’re a sign that your schedule needs a better system.
And now, you’ve got one.