14 Tips for Transitioning to Stay at Home Mom
Becoming a stay-at-home mom isn’t all bon-bons and soap operas, I can promise you that!
In fact, transitioning from being a working mom to a stay-at-home mom was almost just as challenging as transitioning to motherhood itself.
Being a stay-at-home mom is an incredible blessing, but it can also be exhausting mentally, physically, emotionally, and oftentimes even spiritually. My hope is that I can share my experiences with you and you find something that helps you settle in for your new journey as a stay-at-home mom.
Leaving the workforce to become a stay-at-home mom can be overwhelming. I’m going to help you get a plan in place so you’re successful! In this blog post, I will provide you with 14 tips that will help make the transition easier!
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Transitioning from Working to SAHM
Schedule time for yourself- use quiet times.
Finding time to still be yourself is probably one of the most challenging things when you become a stay-at-home mom. Your entire day is now wrapped around your children.
From the time they wake up until the time they go to sleep, it often feels like someone needs something every single moment of the day. Then, when your husband comes home, you need to make sure you have dinner ready. Then come bathtime, bedtime, and time for you and your husband if you know what I mean.
If you aren’t careful, you’ll lose yourself because you’re always meeting everyone else’s needs and not your own.
Find a way to make time for yourself every week. I am a realist and know that sometimes doing something for yourself every day can be a challenge.
I highly recommend that you consider creating a stay-at-home mom routine from the start. This will help tremendously!
Join a mom’s group.
One of the single best things I have done for myself is to join a local MOMS group.
Once a week during the school year I get to go have other women pour into me while my children are in FREE childcare.
IT’S AMAZING! And it’s a HUGE blessing.
Chances are, there is a MOMS type group somewhere near you and you need to find one and get yourself involved.
Even if you’re shy and you’re worried about your kids not liking it, they’ll eventually come around. Promise!
Read Next: Things to Consider BEFORE Becoming a Stay at Home Mom
Get organized.
I quickly realized (and still often struggle with the idea) that having my house organized is an absolute must, non-negotiable.
When you spend most of your day in your house, the space can quickly close in on you, especially if it is in a constant state of chaos. Laundry baskets, toys, books, blankets, etc. They can be everywhere in the house. At least this is the case for my house.
I highly recommend working with your family to create spaces for all the things in your house. If they don’t have a designated space to be stored, you may not need to keep it.
Get out of your house often.
Get out of your house. Find a local park, splash park, museum, zoo, aquarium, nature center, etc.
Find somewhere that you’re comfortable taking your kids and go. Let them have the chance to be around other kids.
If you have a crying baby, take them and let someone tell you how cute your baby is so that you can be reminded that you really do think they’re cute too despite the crying.
One of the things I missed most when transitioning to being a stay-at-home mom was getting out of the house every day. This will help!
Find a very part-time job.
Before we decided for me to stop being a working mom to become a stay-at-home mom, I had a very part-time direct sales business.
Turns out, this was perfect for me when making transitioning to a stay-at-home mom.
My part-time job let me still feel like a powerful woman (as if somehow natural childbirth didn’t do this?), allowed me to contribute to our finances, and gave me time out of the house to remind myself that aside from my kids I was still me.
Talk with your husband about what type of schedule you could work out to allow you to take the time for yourself.
Find a place to volunteer.
Even when your kids are little, there are probably places you can volunteer. Or you can even use your “me time” and go volunteer somewhere without the kids.
Find a local charitable organization, volunteer to play music at a nursing home, or even find a new place to start a program that can benefit your community.
There is always something or someone that can use your help.
Read Next: What It’s Really Like as a Stay at Home Mom: A Day in the Life
Set realistic expectations- you still may not get it all done.
I’m sure you want to be Supermom and get everything done with a smile on your face- reality check- WAKE UP!
There is no such thing as a Supermom.
At the end of the day, get as much done around the house as you can, make a play date or two as you can, etc.
The biggest thing is that you’re taking care of your kids- feed them, bathe them, play with them, keep them safe.
That doesn’t sound so bad, right?
Establish a daily routine.
When I first left the workforce to become a stay-at-home mom, I only had one kiddo. But shortly thereafter, we found out I was pregnant.
Let me just say, life with one was so much easier than the craziness that came with our second.
One of the best things I did was to set a schedule.
Now, with a breastfeeding baby, I am fully aware that it can feel impossible to stick to a schedule.
But, for our oldest, having a schedule for the day made sense.
Things like watching a show, then playing for a while, having a snack, playing again, having lunch, doing a craft, etc.
You get the idea. Your schedule could look very different than mine, but creating a schedule may make your transition to being a stay-at-home mom less intimidating.
One thing I highly recommend doing every single day is keeping a consistent bedtime for your kids. This allows them to get sufficient sleep, and it gives you a set time when you get to turn off live-action mom mode.
Trade childcare with another SAHM.
GENIUS IDEA!
If you have another stay-at-home mom friend who you trust to watch your kids- trade childcare.
There will be days when you have errands to run and you know it would take a fraction of time to do them without the kids versus with the kids, ask your friend to trade childcare. Chances are, she has found herself in a similar situation and would be appreciative of the offer.
Make new SAHM friends.
When making the transition from working mom to SAHM, you may not know any other stay-at-home moms, which at times can feel isolating.
Lay down your pride, put yourself out there, and make a connection with someone.
If you attend church, ask around and see who else is staying at home with their kids.
Look around on Facebook, there are often MOM groups by city.
Go to a park a few times a week during the day, and you’ll find another stay-at-home mom.
They’re all around, you just have to find them.
Continue the expectation of having your husband help with things.
Guys, I love being a stay-at-home mom, but I cannot truly take care of our kids, and get EVERYTHING done around the house.
Being a stay-at-home mom has become my daytime job, and I still need my husband’s help as much as I did when I was a working mom.
Don’t set the bar crazy high for yourself only to realize you can’t do it all.
You also don’t want your husband to think you can do it all only to wonder why you’re frustrated, angry and an emotional trainwreck by the time the kids are in bed. This isn’t healthy for you, your kids, or your marriage.
Make a weekly meal plan.
I have just gotten back into the habit of writing down a weekly meal plan. For some reason, I forgot this simple habit, and it created stressful situations around dinnertime when I realized I had nothing ready to make dinner.
By creating a meal plan, my husband can help me make sure I have everything we need for the meal, and also help make sure the meat we need for the day/week is pulled out of the freezer and thawed in time.
Having a meal plan as a stay-at-home-mom also helps if the monthly budget is tight from dropping down to one income.
Ask for help.
It can be really hard to ask for help when you’re feeling overwhelmed. You want to prove to yourself and everyone else that you can indeed successfully transition to a stay-at-home mom.
But, there can (and likely will) be days when you just need help. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to help. Motherhood can be really challenging at times, and there is nothing wrong with having someone come in and give you a hand.
Don’t compare yourself.
One thing I can tell you, as a stay-at-home mom myself, comparison will steal your joy.
Not every mom parents the same way. Someone is going to have a tidier house than you. Someones kds will be better behaved than yours. Other moms will appear more put together than you.
BUT, the bottom line is, they aren’t you. Their family isn’t your family. Your struggles are different than theirs. And just because you don’t see their shortcomings, doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
So, don’t sell yourself short and miss out on the joys of being a stay-at-home mom because you spend your time comparing yourself to other moms.
Embrace the season of “stay at home mom life”.
There is a lot to be said about what happens when transitioning to a stay-at-home mom. Some days it feels like a train wreck, ok, for a while, most days may feel like a train wreck. But, you’re doing it. You’re making this stay-at-home-mom thing work.
Walking away from your working mom title oftentimes isn’t easy. Embrace this season of life and remember that it’s a season. If you choose to, you can always go back to work at any point in time. But give this stay-at-home-mom thing a whirl before you give up on it. Who knows, you may end up liking it more than you think!
MORE Stay at Home Mom Tips!
7 Things to Consider BEFORE Becoming a Stay at Home Mom
How to Create a Stay at Home Mom Routine
Clean House vs Tidy House: This WILL SAVE Your Sanity
The BEST Cleaning Schedule for Busy Moms
How to be a Better Mom to Your Toddler
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