Making the decision to leave behind your regular 9 to 5 job and stay at home with your children is an extremely courageous one. It takes tons of strength and hard work to dedicate so much of yourself to your family, but it can also be extremely difficult to accomplish and get used to.
The transition from working full time, or even part time, outside of the house to beginning working from home or putting work aside altogether, can be quite hard. It can be extremely easy to close yourself off from your friends, forget to take care of yourself, and stress yourself out more than normal. Making sure that you have a balanced schedule that includes some time for yourself and your relationship as well as the space for a little bit of freedom is extremely important.
While they may seem simple, these great tips will do wonders for helping you make a smooth transition into the wild and wonderful world of stay at home mommyhood.
1. Set A Schedule
While it’s definitely not always possible for the extremely little ones, kids tend to thrive on set, organized day-to-day schedules, and so do stay at home moms. Breakfast, naps, playtimes, school- setting a specific schedule for your weekdays is a great way to keep yourself and your children organized and sane. If your kids are old enough to go to school every day, those 7-8 hours of free time are great for working at home, getting chores done, or schedule some free time with your friends. Of course, there will be times when your schedule completely falls through or gets a little murky, but that’s all part of the job.
2. Remember To Get Outside
This is especially important if you work from home and/or have children that are too little to truly play outdoors. Even if it’s just a stroll around the neighborhood with your stroller or sitting out on the deck in the backyard, get outside as much as possible. Weather permitting, the fresh air and bustling outdoors will do wonders for your mental health and sense of peace.
3. Develop A Support System
Having a good support system is important no matter your chosen path in life, but it can be especially crucial as a stay at home mom. Even if you have to rely on online communities, get in contact with other stay at home moms who are in situations similar to yours. Making friends who implicitly understand you and allow you to vent your anger, happiness, and stress when you need to as well as offer you meaningful advice is a huge part of smoothening the transition.
4. Communicate With Your Partner
It can be hard for your partner to fully understand all of the intricacies and hardships that come with being a SAHM, but as your partner in crime and immediate support system, it is important to keep communication with him alive and well. Talk to him when you’re feeling overwhelmed, stress how important it is still be included in the financial portion of your marriage, and remember to have tons of laughs. Keeping your relationship with your partner stable and happy is a huge part of keeping your transition a successful one.
5. Do Something For Yourself
Switching from going to work every day to spending most of your days at home can be a bit jarring, especially if you’re used to getting so much time to yourself. It’s extremely important to have something for yourself that makes you independently happy. Whether it’s a hobby, a trip to the spa, or some time to watch your favorite tv show, being able to do something just for yourself on a regular basis will help you reclaim a bit of personhood.
6. Be Patient With Yourself
Transitions, just like mothers, are rarely perfect. There might be times you when you become frustrated, tired, annoyed, or all of the above. In the beginning, you might miss being able to go to work every day or being able to splurge on things that a one-income household can’t afford, but you have to be patient and confident in the process. Remember the reasons you decided to become a SAHM and always be thankful that you get the opportunity to devote so much of yourself to your family.