How To Stay Sane As A Stay At Home Mom And Not Lose Your Freakin' Marbles! -

Are you having a hard time finding purpose as a stay at home mom? Are you overwhelmed? If so, then keep reading because we are going to give you great tips on how to stay sane as a stay at home mom.

You’re living the dream (as many will say), you get to stay at home with your baby or toddler and you are so lucky, right? True, it’s amazing to be able to love on your child every day and watch them grow. And it’s truly something to be grateful for each day. Each moment and memory is a reminder of how wonderful It is to experience each time your child says a new phrase that came out of nowhere. Or when they hit a new milestone such as using the potty. But can I just be honest with you? We are here on planet earth living life, and there is always a downside to an upside or a few “cons” to go along with the pros in any life situation.

The Stay at Home Mom Life

Staying at home all day for most of the week is pretty awesome. You get to get up and not get dressed for the day… you don’t have to find anything to wear the night before (which you probably should start doing if you don’t already but that’s another blog post)… or the morning of is what I used to do. But stay-at-home depression is a real thing and can sneak up on you. No day is the same when you have your child at home with you so it is challenging to stay on schedule. Trust me I know from experience. And sometimes it can take up to a year or more to finally feel as though you are in control of your life. One of the key tokens I’ve learned to create a more sane stay-at-home mom experience is to write down a daily schedule.

We are here on planet earth living life, and there is always a downside to an upside or a few “cons” to go along with the pros in any life situation.

Having a Schedule is Key

Having a schedule helps you not to feel so aimless and lost. It gives you a purpose for the day and peace of mind because you have a beginning, a middle, and an end like a story. Think about a nerve-wracking movie that has you on the edge of your seat simply because you don’t know what to expect it’s so crazy and wild ( something like motherhood). But let’s just say you watch that same movie again, is it so nerve-wracking the second or third time around? Not so much, because you know what’s coming next!

It’s also calming for your child believe it or not because as you may know from experience, children like to be in control too! That’s why they always ask questions like “where are we going?” “Mom what are you doing?” “Why are we….when are we….”? Because you better believe, if you don’t come up with a schedule they will and it will be an adventure that seems to only be fun for them. The bottom line is you’re here because you want to feel like you have control over your life you want to lead your household and be the strong smart talented mom that you are. If you need tips in that department I’ve got them for you. These tips are sure to give you some inspiration on how to tailor a schedule and become more organized in your day-to-day with your beautiful blessing. …so let’s get started.

13 WAYS TO STAY SANE AS A STAY AT HOME MOM

Get up at least 1hr to 2hrs before your kid(s) – If you don’t get up before your child gets up that is a sure way to feel like you are not in control. Or If you get up at the same time your kid does then you will immediately have to be on go mode and tend to your child without being able to set an intention for the day. There’s also a psychological factor to this because when you get up before your kid, you are telling yourself subconsciously that you are just a mom or a wife. And although those are beautiful titles to have you are not just that! So when you become a stay-at-home mom you have to carve out that time at the beginning of the day to drink coffee, journal, update your personal calendar, have prayer time, meditation, do yoga, and the things that bring you joy, and keep you centered. It keeps you reminded of why you chose to stay at home and there is a more significant reason and purpose for this choice other than just staying home. You can set your goals for the day you’ll most likely remember something that needs to get done that you probably wouldn’t have thought of if you had just immediately got up to get to mommy-ing. It’s easy to get sidetracked and totally focused on them for the entire day.
Get a dry-erase board – Some of you may have thought I was going to say planners, and while those are good too what I love about dry-erase boards is that you can see what needs to be done right in front of you. It’s a great backup. Sometimes you may forget to check your google calendar or open your planner but, your dry-erase board will be hanging up and visible without you having to open it or do any kind of work to see it. I personally have many dry-erase boards around the house and they each have a different purpose.
Write everything down – And I mean everything, even the small things you feel like you know you’ll remember, right that down too. It helps you to see exactly how much needs to be done. And so you may not have time to watch a show on Netflix or whatever. It also helps you with planning out your day. When you see everything that needs to be done you can organize your day better that way.
Have zones for the day or time blocks – Mirror your day similar to a school day. For example, first, you have to get everyone ready for the day (including yourself) such as washing aces and brushing teeth. Then breakfast… after that it can be centers time, then free time. Then learning time, next is recess, bath time, and dinner. Some days will be different depending on if you have appointments or what not but still try to have time zones every day.
Stay consistent – Children love consistency and knowing what’s going to happen next. They will eventually get with the program and feel a sense of security knowing what is going to happen every day. If your daily routine and daily order of tasks are different every day your child won’t feel grounded and may act out and try to take control themselves. Let them know that you are in charge and get them on board with your program, not the other way around. And remember, consistency is key.
Less stuff = more peace – The truth is that the most important thing we must do to get organized and remain organized is to let go of our extra stuff. Getting rid of clutter is key to staying organized. As moms half of the time, we are looking for something. Which takes up precious time and can cause us to spend more money! When you get rid of clutter and extra stuff you can have a designated spot for you and your toddler’s things.
Pack bags the night before – This can be the most challenging thing to do because I know I get sleepy at night and after I put my kid to bed and clean the kitchen I’m tired. For example, say you have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow, preparing as much as you can the night before helps the day of the appt go much smoother when getting ready.
Have a car organizer so keep things you may need – You can get one from amazon. You can keep things in there like snacks sunglasses extra wipes and pull-ups. Having backups are key and it’s even better when you have a designated place for your backups.
Leave a trash bag in the car – So much trash can pile up in the car from snack wrappers to chick fila toys to random things kids get from whatever event you just got back from. And it’s too much to have to bring all the extra stuff back into the house. Remember a big key to organization is decluttering.
Write lunch and dinner schedules on the whiteboard for the week – Though this may seem like a bit much I’ve learned the more you plan out the less you have to think about and the more peace of mind you will have. Just having a general idea of what you will fix your toddler for meals will help with things like grocery shopping. Say one day your husband asks you what should he grab from the store. Since you already have written down what meals you are making you know exactly what to ask for instead of having to figure it out right on the spot and risking buying something you don’t need or worse forgetting something. It’s a stay ready so you don’t have to get ready technique I think will help you.
Have centers in the house to go along with your time zones – Centers. In the house help with having a designated place to go to so that your toddler knows why and what to do when they get there. It also creates an atmosphere that accompanies the activity that you are doing at that time. Think about it it’s much more comfortable to cook in a kitchen than in your bedroom. The same thing goes with toddlers they are much more likely to read when they are in a space with a comfortable chair, pillows, and next to a bookshelf. The space doesn’t have to be big or super fancy at all. But put things in place that is inviting. When I created a learning space for my daughter she began to grab me and pull me towards the place saying ABCs she would sit down at her table ready and willing to learn. She knew that corner was for learning time and she even began to switch roles and teach me. I put a fuzzy chair next to her bookshelf and we would also have learning time there. The comfortable chair was relaxing.
Get your clothes ready the night before – This is next level stay at home mom living, and probably my favorite gem of this post. Your outfit can be yoga pants or simple athleisure wear, it doesn’t have to be fancy. Getting ready for the day can take a lot of time so it’s best to get it out of the way early.
Engaged with your toddler – So here’s a secret trick I do to ensure my plans go the best way they can for the day. Play with your kid and give them the engagement they desperately want and need. When you intentionally play with your kid you will notice they may leave you alone for a few minutes once they get their fix of attention from you. When you are at home you will notice they will continue to pull at you wanting this or that. When what they really need from you is your attention. When kids get what they need they’ll give you what you need and be more cooperative.

The best advice I can give you is to try things out and get creative. Tailor a plan made for you and be observant. These tips will help assist you with the creative ideas you come up with yourself. There is no one way that fits all which is why most. People say there is no handbook to raising children. That is because you created your own handbook for what works best for you. I hope these tips have helped and please come back and tell me what has helped. Also please share things you learned that may be helpful to some mamas who are down in the comments!