20 Ways to Simplify Shabbat Prep in Every Season of Motherhood
There’s something sacred about the calm that settles over a home right before Shabbat. But let’s be honest—getting to that calm moment can feel anything but peaceful.
Whether you're navigating sleepless nights with a newborn, homeschooling multiple kids, working full-time, or all of the above, the hours before candlelighting often feel more like a marathon than a gentle lead-in to rest.
The truth is: Shabbat prep changes with every season. Some weeks feel beautifully intentional. Others? A bit chaotic. But no matter your current pace, one thing remains the same—Shabbat is a gift, and preparing for it shouldn’t leave you burned out.
Because rest isn’t about getting it all done. It’s about returning to the Garden, to God, and to each other.
Here are 20 grace-filled, practical tips from Our Shabbat Home to help you simplify Shabbat prep and actually enjoy the rest you’ve been looking forward to all week.
1. Make Rest the Goal—Not Perfection
If you enter Shabbat with unfolded laundry and an undone to-do list, you're not doing it wrong. You're doing it human. God commands us to rest—not once everything is perfect, but in the middle of imperfection.
2. Build a Shabbat Basket for Kids
Fill a special box with activities, books, and quiet toys that only come out on Shabbat. This gives your kids something to look forward to and helps you enjoy a little stillness. Here’s some ideas of things to add to their baskets.
3. Keep a Shabbat Pantry Shelf
Stock it with shelf-stable foods you can pull out when life happens—challah in the freezer, tuna, soup, rice, olives, grape juice. A simple meal is still a sacred one.
4. Start on Wednesday or Thursday
Even doing one thing early—planning the menu, grocery shopping, chopping veggies—lightens the load on Friday and shifts your heart toward rest ahead of time.
5. Use a Slow Cooker (or Two!)
Let your crockpot work while you clean or go to synagogue. Some mamas keep two going—one for breakfast, one for lunch. The less you're in the kitchen on Shabbat, the more present you can be.
6. Write It Down
Make a list of what actually needs to happen before Shabbat. Include non-food things: bills, gas, returns. A checklist clears mental clutter and prevents that “I’m forgetting something” feeling.
7. Use Oven-to-Table Containers
Glass containers like Pyrex are your best friend. Prep, store, heat, and serve—all in the same dish. No extra dishes to scrub after sundown.
8. Let the Kids Help
Even little ones can prep with you—fold napkins, clear toys, pick a centerpiece. Older kids can help sweep, cook, or light candles. When everyone contributes, Shabbat becomes a shared joy, not a solo chore. Make cleaning fun for your littles by getting them their own toy cleaning set. Get the kids helping and everyone on the same page with a Shabbat Checklist.
9. Sign Off Socials Before Sundown
Set a Friday afternoon alarm to log off emails and social media. Even that little shift tells your soul: it’s time to rest. Get really serious about it and get one of these. For reasons why you should unplug from your phone once a week, read this.
10. Make a "Core Four" Meal List
Pick 3–5 favorite Shabbat dinners to rotate—think roast chicken and salad, lentil soup and bread, pasta and veggies. Meal planning becomes plug-and-play.
11. Choose One Thing to Simplify Each Week
This might be skipping dessert, using paper plates, or buying pre-cut veggies. Let one thing go to give yourself space for what matters most.
12. Double Up During the Week
Make extra soup on Tuesday or double the chicken on Thursday night. Freeze half and pull it out for Shabbat. This spreads out the prep without adding more to your plate.
13. Create a Weekly Reminder Ritual
Put a verse or sticky note where you’ll see it—on your planner, the fridge, or your phone lock screen: “Shabbat is coming. Prepare with joy.” A gentle nudge can reframe your whole Friday.
14. Make enough Challah for the Whole Month
Fresh baked challah on a Friday evening is a sure way to please the whole family. But sometimes it just isn’t possible. My challah recipe makes 4 normal-sized loaves. Cut the dough in half again to make 8 smaller loaves and then freeze. Pull two out each week every Friday morning.
15. Prep Simple Snacks for Saturday
Think fruit trays, boiled eggs, popsicles, or muffins. If you have little ones, Saturday snacks are a lifesaver when meals are simple and ovens stay off. If you don’t have the time to plan and pack ahead, here’s some ideas.
16. Grill It, Don’t Scrub It
If weather permits, hand off dinner to the grill. Fewer dishes, fresh air, and minimal cleanup—it’s a win for everyone.
17. Empty the Dishwasher First
A small thing that makes a huge difference. You’ll thank yourself on Saturday when dirty dishes can go into an empty dishwasher instead of piling up in the sink.
18. Have Study Books Ready
Whether you go to shul or not, having a little bookshelf with your Bible, Torah portions, devotionals, or nature-inspired study guides helps you enter into rest with intention, not boredom.
19. Let Go of the Shoulds
You don’t have to make homemade challah. You don’t have to iron tablecloths. Ask yourself what makes you feel peaceful, and let that be enough.
20. Remember Why You’re Doing This
You're not prepping for a show. You’re preparing to welcome the King of Kings. You're creating a rhythm of delight for your children. You're stepping into sacred space. And however that looks this week—it’s beautiful.
There is rest for you in every season
Your Shabbat prep doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. It just needs to lead you to rest.
Some weeks, that might mean a glowing table with homemade bread. Other weeks, it’s pizza and grape juice at the coffee table with kids in pajamas.
Both are holy. Both are enough.
So keep showing up, preparing in your own way, and allowing Shabbat to shape your home from the inside out.
Shabbat Shalom, friend. May your home overflow with rest, joy, and just enough grace to let it be what it is.
