Sometimes you just need someone — or something — to tell you what to do. Not in a condescending way. Just… helpful. Efficient. No extra mental load.
That’s what ChatGPT became for me in motherhood.
I started using it to fix dinner panic at 5 PM, soothe toddler meltdowns, schedule actual self-care, and even make sense of chaotic nap transitions. It gave me structure when I felt like I had none.
Below are the exact prompts I’ve used, plus the full responses that helped me feel less overwhelmed and more capable — without needing to read a book, take a course, or stay up late researching.
Bookmark this post for the days your brain is fried and you just want someone to hand you a plan.
1. What’s for Dinner?
When you’re too tired to meal plan but still want to feed everyone something decent.
Prompt:
Make me a weekly dinner plan for a postpartum mom + spouse + toddler. High protein, no chicken, under 30 minutes. Include a grocery list + macros.
Response:
Monday: Beef taco bowls with plantains & avocado crema
Tuesday: Lamb meatballs with quinoa & cucumber yogurt dip
Wednesday: Salmon with smashed peas & sourdough
Thursday: Sweet potato gnocchi with turkey sausage & pesto
Friday: Protein waffles with maple sausage & berries
Saturday: Shrimp stir fry with garlic zoodles
Sunday: Grass-fed steak bites with broccoli & mashed cauliflower
✔️ Under 30 mins
✔️ Grocery list + macros included
✔️ Toddler-approved and not boring
2. Baby Sleep Help
Because contact napping for every nap isn’t sustainable — even though you’ll do it anyway.
Prompt:
Make me a gentle sleep training plan for my 4-month-old with short naps, reflux, and snack feeding.
Response:
Wake windows: 75–90 min
Full daytime feeds every 2.5–3 hrs
Hold upright 10 min after feeding
Use crib for naps first, contact nap to extend
Bedtime routine: bath, bottle, upright hold, sound machine, bed
➡️ Full breakdown of our ChatGPT sleep training plan is here
3. 10-Min Toddler Activities (No Screens)
For when you need 10 minutes to cook or pee or exist.
Prompt:
Give me 10 screen-free, low-mess independent play ideas for a 2-year-old while I cook or go to the bathroom.
Response:
Pom-pom push through a wipe lid
Dot stickers on shapes
Obstacle course with couch cushions
Toy wash in the sink
Color sort with muffin tins
Water Wow books
Velcro dot board with felt
Dry pasta sensory bin
“Feed the animal” tissue box
Mini cleaning kit — spray bottle + cloth
4. Fitting in Self-Care Without a 5 AM Wakeup
Spoiler: you don’t need to wake up at 4:45 to “pour into your cup.”
Prompt:
Here’s my daily schedule. Tell me where I can fit in 10 minutes for self-care or movement.
Response:
5:30 AM (I can’t sleep in SOS)— breathwork + stretch
9:30 AM — resistance bands or journaling
12:00 PM — gua sha or light core
2:30 PM — posture reset or walk
6:45 PM — tea + legs up wall
8:10 PM — shower reset: candles, diffuser, body oil
➡️ Wellness tips that are actually doable
5. When You’re About to Lose It
For the moments you’re overstimulated and about to snap.
Prompt:
Give me a checklist for when I’m overstimulated and want to yell at my toddler.
Response — The Reset Checklist:
Take one deep breath (or pause for 3 seconds)
Say: “I’m overwhelmed. I need a minute.”
Step away for 30 seconds
Touch something grounding (cold water, hand on heart)
Lower expectations: “They’re 2. I’m human.”
Turn off background noise
Shake out your hands or arms
Look at their face — they’re just learning
Put the phone down
Say: “Let’s take a breath together.”
“I’m not mad. I’m just full.”
“Let’s try again.”
6. A Cleaning Plan I’ll Actually Do
Because it’s either 15 minutes a day or 3 hours of rage cleaning.
Prompt:
Make me a 15-minute-a-day cleaning schedule for a stay-at-home or WFH mom who hates cleaning.
Response:
Monday — Kitchen reset
Tuesday — Bathroom wipe down
Wednesday — Floors (vacuum or Swiffer)
Thursday — Laundry + bedrooms
Friday — Declutter (car, counters, toys)
Saturday — Catch-up or skip
Sunday — Restock + prep for the week
Bonus: 5-min reset — toss dishes, pick up 5 things, fluff couch, light a candle
7. Amazon Deals That Are Actually Worth It
Because I’m not wasting money on random TikTok junk.
Prompt:
Find me hidden Amazon coupon codes on organic toddler snacks and non-toxic home products.
Response:
15% off organic puffs
20% off natural cleaner
10% off silicone snack containers
Diaper bag lookalikes under $50
8. When You’re Carrying Everything
This one hit me in the gut.
Prompt:
Give me 5 affirmations for a mom who feels like everything falls on her.
Response:
I’m not failing. I’m carrying a lot. I can do this — but I don’t have to do it alone. My worth isn’t tied to my output. I’m allowed to rest. This is hard, but I’m not doing it wrong.
9. Sunday Mental Reset
A better Sunday checklist than “scroll and feel guilty.”
Prompt:
Create a Sunday reset checklist for a mom of 2 — include meals, restocks, and calendar review.
Response:
Restock diaper bag/snacks
Wipe down car seats
Look at the week ahead
Prep 3 easy dinners
Toss expired fridge items
Reset laundry
Clear your camera roll
10. Toddler + Baby Beach Trip Packing
Don’t forget the baby powder for sand.
Prompt:
Tell me what to pack for a toddler and baby beach trip — include what I’ll probably forget.
Response:
Pop-up shade tent
Extra swim + regular diapers
Mini fan
Ziplocs for wet clothes
Baby powder for sand removal
Snack cups
Muslin blanket
Sunscreen stick + lotion
Frozen fruit in mesh feeders
Change of clothes for you
11. Saying No Without Guilt
For the days you just don’t have it in you — and that’s okay.
Prompt:
Write a text I can send when I’m too overwhelmed to attend an event — I want to say no gently but still be included in the future.
Response:
“Hey! Thank you so much for the invite. I’ve been really stretched thin lately and just don’t have the capacity to show up the way I’d like to — but I so appreciate you thinking of me. Please keep inviting me even if I say no sometimes. I’m just in a season where things feel really full.”
Final Thought
Copy, paste, screenshot — whatever you need. These prompts are here to give your brain a break and your day a little more ease.
