Being a stay at home mom is full of assumptions. Some assume stay at home moms are always lonely or depressed, while others think it’s a vacation. The truth is, it’s neither one of those things. It’s a blend of having the privilege to stay home to parent your children while simultaneously finding ways to keep yourself and your needs fulfilled to be a happy stay at home mom!
So why be a stay at home mom in the first place? Well, according to one research study, it showed that 60% of Americans felt like their child was better off with at least one parent at home. With that being said, it’s ok to acknowledge if being a stay at home mom isn’t for you. I mean, it’s not for everyone.
So for those of you that DO stay at home with your kiddos — how do you keep your needs fulfilled and be a happy stay at home mom<
If you need some ideas, make sure to read all these easy & practical tips below!
Find your purpose in order to be a happy stay at home mom
One of the things I think is important for moms who stay at home with their kiddos, is to have a clear understanding of their purpose for doing so.
Do you stay at home because you have to? Is it because you chose to?
Identifying your true WHY can help you envision your purpose as a stay at home mom and work through whether or not it’s something you should continue doing.
** RELATED: How find me time as a mom
Adjusting to being a stay at home mom
If you recently decided to be a full-time stay at home mom, it’s probably safe to say you went through or are going through an adjustment period.
Let’s be real, being gone at work vs being at home all day are simply two different lives!
You are now faced with :
- Day to day chores 24/7
- Being the primary caretaker of your children
- Responsible for managing your household schedule
- Feeding the family (which includes cooking & grocery shopping)
- Running all and any errands your family may need
- Potentially much more depending on how you divide up your household responsibilities with your partner.
Needless to say, that can be A LOT to take on, especially with your little ones needing the majority of your attention.
So where do YOUR needs fit into all this? Here are 4 ways you can feel fulfilled and happy as a stay at home mom.
**RELATED: Relaxing self care ideas for busy moms
4 Ways to feel fulfilled as a stay at home mom
1. Create a schedule or routine
Creating a routine you and your family to follow will be one of the most helpful things you can do for everyone, as a stay at home mom.
An example of what my stay at home mom schedule looks like is:
- 6:00 am Wake Up
- 6:15 am Change & diaper both little ones
- 6:45 am Breakfast
- 7:00 am Feed the dogs & let them out to potty
- 7:15 am Clean dishes & Unload dishwasher
- 7:45 am Everyone brushes teeth & Mom gets ready
- 8:15 am Nurse baby again
- 8:45 – 9:45 am Go out for morning walk or play outside
- 10:00 am 1:1 Playtime with my toddler for speech delay activities
- 10:30 am Vacuum, laundry, and tidy up the house
- 11:15 am Start prepping/cooking lunch
- 11:45 am Eat lunch
- 12:30 – 2:30 pm Lunch Time
- During the lunchtime window, I will use this time to break apart time to work on blogging activities, finish some small chores, and do some tummy time with the infant.
- 2:30 pm Wake up toddler & eat a snack/screen time
- 3:00 pm Go outside to play
- 4:00 pm Start cooking dinner
- 5:00 pm Eat Dinner & Clean Dishes
- 6:00 pm Begin Bedtime Routine and have kids in bed by 6:30 pm
- 6:30 pm – 10 pm Bounce between working on blog/nursing infant and spending time with husband
- 10 pm Mom’s bedtime and repeat next day 🙂
So this is a pretty simplified version of how our day to day routine goes, but with two under two, I have to keep a routine otherwise things get a little crazy.
Also, if we ever need to do a grocery run or anything like that, I always do it BEFORE naptime, otherwise, my son is notorious for falling asleep right before bed and then not wanting to go down for bedtime.
Regardless, hopefully, this little snippet of my routine gives you some ideas on how you can set up a schedule if you’re not currently following one!
If you are looking for the perfect morning and nighttime routine to conquer motherhood, you can download it HERE!
2. Don’t take things personally!
This one is so huge. STOP taking things personally.
As a stay at home mom, it’s really easy to internalize and blame ourselves when the day doesn’t go as planned, or when our toddler has 12 meltdowns in one day.
And you know what? It’s going to drive you insane! So you have to put an end to it today, right now.
So if you want to start having more days that feel happy and fulfilled, you’ve gotta stop internalizing the things that are out of your control and stop taking them personally.
3. Find a hobby or side hustle!
This one is important because it lets you carve out some time to do something you actually enjoy that isn’t parenting!
Let’s face it, as much as we all love being moms, we wouldn’t be able to do it day and day again without keeping our own glass full too. And sometimes, we get too caught up in giving ourselves to everyone in the house that we forget about…well…ourselves! Figuring out a side hustle and way to enjoy your time is a huge factor for staying happy as a stay at home mom!
So take some time to figure out what kind of hobby or even a little side hustle you could pick up to start getting in some dedicated mama time each day, week, doesn’t really matter as long as it’s happening and you’re refilling that drained out mama cup!
If you need help brainstorming some side hustles, this post should help!
4. Get out of the house when you can
Lastly, get out of the house! I know the days feel so busy at times that by the time you even realize you haven’t left the house you’re thinking “wow, where’d the day go?!”.
However, you need to make it a point to get out at least once a day. Not only will it feel refreshing for you, but it’s also great for your kids to get out, get some sunshine, and spend time somewhere that isn’t home.
Plus, I’ve found it’s a GREAT way to tame some tantrums when all else fails, just go for a walk 🙂
There you have it, mamas, ‘Four Great Ways to feel Fulfilled as a Stay At Home Mom’!
What do you do to feel fulfilled as a stay at home mom? Drop your suggestions in the comment box below!
This guest post was written by Karissa Whitman, owner, and blogger of FitMommyStrong. Karissa is a boy mama who resides in sunny San Diego, California with her family – including their two big doggies! After facing many postpartum struggles with minimal support after her first son was born, Karissa grew passionate about helping new and expecting moms find the support & confidence needed to transition into the scary, yet the exciting journey into motherhood!
Besides blogging, Karissa enjoys weight lifting to stay active & soaking up the awesome San Diego weather with her husband and little boys!
Leave a Reply