Being a Stay-at-Home Mom is HARD!
Being a Stay-At-Home Mom (SAHM) is a FULL-FULL time job with no set schedule, breaks, start time, or end time. I have been a SAHM since Avery (4 yrs) was born except for 1 year when I went back to teaching. I went back to work the day she turned 2, but left again after the school year was over because I was pregnant with Carter (9 mos). (Being a working mom presented a whole other set of challenges!)
It is a HUGE blessing (especially in THIS economy) to stay home with my kids. I get to watch them meet all of their milestones. They literally grow before my eyes, and I am able to tell the difference in their development from one day to the next. I get to play with them and see all of their funny, quirky personality traits and behaviors. I get to experience all of the many, MANY cuddles, hugs, and kisses.
While all of those things are great to experience firsthand, that does not mean that everyday is sunshine and rainbows. The days are long and can be very lonely at times. I get ALL of their personality traits--the good, the bad, and the ugly! I get their smiles and tears. I get their good behaviors and the bad ones too. When I am over-stimulated and all touched out from the cuddles and kisses, there is nobody to hand them off too. I just have to endure until my husband comes home to give me a break. The over-stimulation is something that is rarely ever talked about. It makes your head hurt and feel like it is literally swimming. All of your senses are heightened to where suddenly your hair feels too heavy, your clothes are too tight, or the smell of a formula bottle makes you sick to your stomach. It's awful!
In my 4 years of being a SAHM, I have learned a couple of coping strategies that have helped me keep my SANITY:
GET MOVING!
Go for walks outside or around the mall. We live in a nice neighborhood where there are plenty of sidewalks, and there's a park behind our house. After breakfast is a great time for us to go for a walk. It burns off breakfast and some energy so the kids aren't so antsy as we go into the afternoon.
GET DRESSED!
Doesn’t have to be makeup, but put on a little if you want. Put some actual clothes on and jewelry. Take that bonnet off and comb your hair! For me, it is depressing looking in the mirror, seeing an ashy face, and an old, wrinkled t-shirt with spit up on it. Getting dressed helps me to feel beautiful and confident even if no one else sees me outside of those in my home. Plus, it gives my husband something else to look at when he comes home. *wink*
GET ACTIVE!
Do an activity with your kids like coloring, reading, bowling, an art project, play in the backyard, or go to a family fun place! We love to go to family fun places where Avery came run, jump, and play with other kids until Carter gets big enough. However, those places do cost so when money is tight-the backyard or park works just fine. In the backyard, I turn on some Disney music while Avery runs around chasing bubbles from the bubble machine and draws pictures with some chalk on the patio. We bought a bounce house for Avery's birthday in September so we got a lot of use out of that towards the end of the summer. Avery also started in gymnastics a couple of weeks ago which gives her and I something to look forward to and somewhere to go each week. There are other times when "getting active" just means doing a learning activity. We read, color, or work on writing skills. Oh! And Play-Doh? Keeps her entertained for hours!
GET SMELL GOODS!
Get some nice candles or wall plug-ins from Bath and Body Works! Going to Bath and Body Works and smelling all the things has become a form of self-care for me. All of their seasonal scents (Fall being my favorite!) sets the mood in my home and really makes me feel like I have my life together lol But seriously, make your house smell good if you’re going to spend so much time there. Smelling formula and diapers all day will make you go crazy!
GET A HOBBY!
Create content, blog, knit, write, paint, whatever! Just do something that interests you and feeds your soul. This very website and blog was created to give myself a creative outlet when I was going through a rough time at work and then again after I had Avery. I started making vlogs for YouTube and posting to social media more to help me process my grief after my father passed, and now it has grown into a whole thing lol I create beauty content, host a podcast on worship, and vlog my days with my family. I reach thousands of people daily with my videos, posts, and stories. It is crazy busy these days between mom-ing full time, wife-ing, creating/editing content, and trying to be consistent with posting, but every night when I go to sleep I am fulfilled. I am most definitely worn out too, but fulfilled nonetheless.
GET REST!
Leave the kids with dad, grandparents, or someone you trust. Take a nap, go get a coffee, go walk around Target, go to the mall--just take off your mom hat. Sometimes just going to pick up groceries by myself is such a treat lol I'll stop by Starbucks on my way there for a chai tea latte and just sit in the car in silence. At times I wish those moments lasted longer but even those 30-45 minutes make such a huge difference. My mind is clearer, and my body isn't in a state of fight or flight. I am in a much better place to take care of my kids and be a better wife to my husband.
Comentários