How to Make the Most of Being a Stay-at-Home Mom
Deciding whether to stay at home with your children or climb the career ladder is one of the toughest choices a mother will make. Some days, staying home seems like the only choice. Other days, you could climb the walls. Help yourself by coming to terms with your decision to stay home.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
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1
Decide if you want to stay home. If you feel like you have to work to experience adult contact and personal satisfaction, get a part-time job that gives you both employment and time with your children.
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2
Talk with your partner. Compromise on all aspects of running your household. Discuss chores that need to be done, errands that need to be run and time that needs to be spent alone. Plan time and money for important activities and daily travel.
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3
Find other parents. Just because you stay at home doesn't mean you have to stay in your house. Call around town and find play groups. Plan play dates for your kids and take walks with other parents in your neighborhood. Go to the park and introduce yourself to other parents. There are parents everywhere; find them and gather with them often.
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4
Talk. Discuss the ups and downs of parenting with friends and other parents. Let your partner know you need to vent a little after a frustrating day. Being a parent is hard work, especially when you are with your children all day.
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5
Spend time alone. As a stay-at-home parent, you spend the day meeting the needs of your children and can sometimes go days without meeting your own needs. Plan to spend some time without the kids, whether it is a night out with other parents or a 45-minute bubble bath. Nurture yourself.
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Let go a little. Lower your expectations about being a gourmet chef or master house cleaner, especially if you live with the under-3 crowd. There is nothing wrong with doing dishes once a day, pushing toys into a corner with a broom or even serving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and dinner. If you feel too stressed or tired to be the Mother of the Year, just relax and play with your tots. They will have more fun, too.
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Tips & Warnings
Create a daily routine, which will make it easier for your children to make the transition between activities.
Start a play group in your neighborhood.
Go online and look for support groups.
Seek professional help if you are experiencing extreme depression or uncontrollable feelings of anger and resentment toward anyone in your family.
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Comments
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mswisdom
Mar 19, 2009
good article -
Kylara
Oct 19, 2008
The years at home go so quickly. I think it is easier to let your children go when you have been home with them because you don't feel you have missed anything.
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Kylara
Oct 19, 2008
The years at home go so quickly. I think it is easier to let your children go when you have been home with them because you don't feel you have missed anything.
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Nov 22, 2005
My day is structured around the kids. I have a 9 month old and a 3 1/2 year old. My 3 1/2 year old helps me with housework and taking care of the little one. As soon as the little one takes a nap, my older child and I get "Mommy and Cady time" where we do just what she wants to do. She loves to help and feels like a very big girl for it. I also take my older child on special shopping trips (ordinary grocery shopping), but make a game out of it just for her.
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Nov 22, 2005
While it is very easy to let the day slip away, remember to schedule time with your spouse. Have a date night periodically and focus on your marriage. The "child trap" is especially easy to fall into - spending all energy on the kids and not saving any for hubby.
