How to Juggle the Duties of Being a Stay at Home Mom

It’s the only job in existence where you’re on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week and you don’t get paid a dime.  There are no flashy benefits packages and you most definitely do not have sick days – ever.  The commute is easy and generally has no traffic, but you might have to get up at all hours of the night and forgo a shower for several days on end.  You don’t get the luxury of having a state required lunch break and trying to sneak around the boss to get off early will always be impossible. 

 

And yet, there are over 5.4 million women in the United States who willingly choose being a Mom as their new career each year.


Why We Do it

 

It just goes to show that in life there is work worth doing for free, and being a stay-at-home Mom is probably the best reason.  But be that as it may, it still is hard to set aside your entire income and sacrifice financial stability in order to raise your little ones on your own.  It truly is some of the hardest work one can do, and there is little praise or honor except for the joy of watching your children grow up in your arms.  Which I must say for most people is all the reason you need.

 

Even with all those smiles, giggles and jelly faced kisses it can be hard to manage the responsibilities, duties, and demands of being a stay-at-home Mom.  You might have removed a 40-hour workweek from the equation, but you’ve added in the total dependence of a child or multiple children, and the hours for that can be unlimited.  So I have compiled a list of ways you can approach each day and maintain your sanity and the sanity of your family.

 

Tip #1: Wake Up Before Your Kids

 

First and foremost, you need to make it a habit of waking up before your kids.  Babies are included in this once they get to be around 6 months of age and you have hopefully managed to get them on a decent sleep schedule.  This allows you to assess your day, grab some breakfast and ideally a shower before your munchkins awaken.  Once you get in a routine of doing this you will realize that the one hour you lose in sleep, you gain twice the benefits in having a more peaceful approach to each day.


Tip #2: Set Realistic Goals Regarding What You Can Achieve Each Day

 

Secondly and this goes most importantly for first time moms, you need to lower your expectations of what you can accomplish in each day.  With kids now a part of your routine there are always bound to be complications and setbacks in even your most minor plans.  If you allow yourself one major thing to accomplish each day and then several minor things that aren’t necessities, you will feel like you are actually getting things done.

 

A big thing might be simply getting the laundry done; the minor things might be clearing off the living room table, loading the dishwaster or re-organizing the pantry.

 

Otherwise, if you don’t accomplish your laundry list of items in a single day you will feel let down and defeated.  A huge portion of juggling duties as a stay-at-home Mom is having the right mindset and setting yourself up for success instead of failure.


Tip #3: Buy a Crockpot

 

Now you might find my next bit of advice a little odd, but I wouldn’t be sharing it if it hadn’t saved me on multiple occasions from having to order pizza or other forms of take out on a regular basis.  And let’s be honest – that costs money, and part of being a stay-at-home Mom is finding ways to save money. 

 

So do yourself a favor and buy a crockpot.  Then hit the bookstore or go online and find a good book of recipes for your crockpot, and master the art of having dinner cook itself while you are out and about doing just about everything else.  Because the last thing you want to have worry about when you’re conquering Costco, changing diapers, and assessing nap times is figuring out what’s for dinner.

 

It’s been my experience that if you can manage to implement these three tried and true tips into your daily life, you will find life a lot more enjoyable.  Obviously each day will not be perfect and you will find that sleeping in until the kids wake up is sometimes worth the craziness that ensues, but overall the above three basic concepts will hopefully make your life as a stay-at-home Mom feel a little less complicated.

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