Things You'll Need:
- Address Books
- Parenting Book
- Phone Books
- Phone Books
- Telephones
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Step 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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Step 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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Step 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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Step 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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Step 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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Step 6
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.
Comments
mswisdom said
on 3/19/2009 good article
Kylara said
on 10/19/2008 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.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 I gave up my job to look after our young son. Financially it was tough, but I know for our family it was the right thing to do. I took my little boy everywhere with me and as a result he was my right hand man. Now that he has started school I can't believe where the time has gone. I know I can never have all that time with my child again. I loved every minute of it.
If you have second thoughts about giving up work I say do it! You will never regret it. Don't let anyone make you feel like a second class citizen because you choose to spend time with your child instead of working and letting someone else take the responsibility.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 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.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 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.