Before you had kids I’m sure you dreamt of one day being a stay at home mom. You may have fantasized of waking up whenever you wanted, staying in your PJs all day, relaxing all day long with your little one and doing whatever you wanted because you have no boss (well, except for those things we call kids). I’ll be honest, being a stay at home mom is a wonderful opportunity and gift that some women are lucky to be. However, that doesn’t mean it’s always easy.
In fact, I am surprised at how difficult it can actually be. Taking care of a little one 24/7 with very little breaks can be exhausting. If you don’t make time and effort to still be a normal human being you can get overwhelmed and become very unhappy. If you’re struggling with being stay at home mom, try implementing these 6 habits every day so you will not only be happier taking care of your children, but you’ll be happier for yourself, too.
1. Schedule Your Day Out
Ok, look, I know that the whole purpose and easiness of being a stay at home mom is that you can do whatever you want whenever you want. I mean, heck, you can stay in your PJs all day long if you really want. The truth is that when you lay around in your PJs and don’t plan to do anything, you’ll end up laying on the couch all day watching TV with your child and get nothing done. Then, at the end of the day you’ll look back and even though you didn’t really do anything you’ll still feel exhausted. Trust me, I’ve tried being a stay at home mom both ways and you feel so much better about yourself when you plan things out, get things done and make effective use of your time.
2. Wake Up Before The Kids
I know what you’re thinking and yes, I did just tell you to lose even more sleep and get up before your children wake up. I know it seems like you’ll be more tired by doing this, but I bet you’ll be surprised. If you wake up, shower, get ready, have your morning cup of coffee or tea, by the time the kiddos wake up you’ll feel refreshed and ready for your day. You won’t look like a frazzled mess when you drop the kids off at school anymore and instead of having to come home and get ready, you can actually go out and run some errands and get things done.
3. Make Friends And Spend Time With Them
Moms are special and other moms get it. Look, none of us are perfect and we all go through a lot when taking care of kids, cleaning, cooking, etc. Other moms aren’t going to judge you if you didn’t vacuum your floors this morning or if you didn’t wipe off your baby’s pacifier before putting it back in their mouth. If you don’t have other mom friends, make friends. If you do have mom friends, spend time with them. It’s nice to have friends to talk to and spend time with on those days when we need a little extra pick me up and need someone to talk to who knows exactly what we’re going through.
4. Play With Your Kids
Sometimes we forget that the real reason we decided to quit our jobs and be a stay at home mom was for the kids! So, since that’s the purpose of being a stay at home mom, actually spend time with them. Play with them, craft with them, cook with them, etc. Make sure to schedule time to spend time with them. Even if you only have time for 30 minutes to play hid and go seek or to do a puzzle, it will do both you and your child good to spend time together. I have noticed that when I’m busy and don’t have time to play with my son I end up getting annoyed with him because he won’t stop bugging me. He’s only bugging me because he wants attention and wants me to play with him. When I do stop and take time to spend with him both he and I are much happier.
5. Give Yourself Some Me Time
With all of your scheduling, make sure to schedule time for yourself. Plan time to do the hobbies you once loved, time for a girl’s night out with all your girlfriends, a massage, or even a manicure and pedicure. It’s important for your sanity to have that time. Every parent needs a few minutes away from the screaming, crying, even laughing and playing children. If you do this regularly you’ll find that you’re happier both with yourself and with being a stay at home mom.
6. Forgive Yourself
One of the most important things you can do as a parent, is to forgive yourself. No one is perfect, especially when it comes to raising children. We all make mistakes and we all have regrets for things we did or said. The whole parenting thing is hard and you can’t be so hard on yourself. Forgive yourself for your mistakes and move forward. You’ll be much happier and it will allow you to be parent better, as well.