Want to know what its like being a stay at home mum or maybe you are one already? This is the podcast for you, this podcast talks everything about mum life, being home with the kids and mum tips and tricks to get by. Now we are all different, so this is my take on mum life and I hope its relatable to you!
This post is all about being a stay at home mum.
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The Stay at Home Mum Podcast gives you Stay-at-home mom tips, I talk about a realistic Stay-at-home mom schedule and the ups and downs of being a stay at home mum too!
Embracing the Stay-at-Home Mom Journey
Depending on your background and how maternal you actually are, embracing the stay-at-home mom journey can be a hard decision to make. It’s funny, because you work so hard for qualifications growing up and gaining that work experience to potentially walk away from the whole thing. Which is exactly what I did!
Some of my friends think I am mad. But, after a lot of thought and discussion with my husband we decided that we only get this time once with our little-ones and let’s face it I can always go back to what I was doing in the future if I even want to. (Thats another subject all together!)
Once you have made the decision, there are so many more hurdles you need to jump before you feel I would say ‘normal’. You may have just left a 9-5 job where there was structure to your day and now, you can basically do what you want…Other than naps dictating your day! So, let’s talk about a stay-at-home-mom routine.
Creating an Effective Stay-at-Home Mom Schedule
Creating a schedule was the one of the hardest things for me to do, because my husband works shifts there is no set days or hours he is home. It literally changes every week, so I try my best to work around him but sometimes I just have to say ‘this is the day I do this’ for example.
Like food shopping! Depending on the shift my husband is on, some weeks I go after the kids are in bed and some weeks I go when my toddler is in nursery and brave the supermarket with a sleeping baby. (It doesn’t always go to plan)
My biggest tip for spending the last 3 years at home is to create a day to day schedule for yourself, don’t worry about the hours as kids change things and they can be sick or even just not in the right mood to attempt a task you need to do.
For instance, you may have food shopping, cleaning the house, my brain has literally stopped as I am writing my list… What do I do? haha You know what you need to do, house chores, the dishes, the laundry, its all a blurr – I must be doing it half asleep!
What I am getting at, if you need to allocate these things to a time of day or a day of the week. For instance:
- Monday – Baby group (AM) and cleaning
- Tuesday – Free day
- Wednesday – Nursery (AM) – Time to get the food shop.
- Thursday – Nursery (AM) – one on one time with my baby.
- Friday – Rest day for the kids, batch cook meals for the next few days.
- Saturday – Review what meals I can make up from leftovers and food on the shelves.
- Sunday – Family day
Create your own little routine that is flexible for you and remember you do need time for you. But, I know what thats like…it doesn’t happen for me.
Exploring Flexible Job Opportunities for Stay-at-Home Moms
If you are wanting to work or need to work there are a few things you can do from home:
- Become a virtual assistant.
- Create a blog and earn from affiliate links, advertising and products or services you can sell.
- Work for a specific company remotely from your home.
- Have a YouTube Channel
- Sell handmade on Etsy – I wouldn’t have time for this personally, but you could sell digital products if that was easier.
- Or even create your own business.
Overcoming Challenges: Addressing Stay-at-Home Mom Burnout and Depression
I have become better at noticing when I am burning out and I have told my husband if I say I am burning out I need him to jump in and take over. Luckily that isn’t too often, but my baby is not yet sleeping through so I am up throughout the night and then up at 6/7am with my toddler so it definitely does happen!
Stay-at-home mom burnout is really common, have a think about how you can spot if you are on the downturn and what you can put into place to help you recover. Learn to recognize the signs to help yourself.
Quick Ways to Improve Your Mental Health and Strategies for Self Care
- More sleep
- A nutrious meal
- Help with the kids
- Time to yourself
- Time to do a hobby
- Exercise
Building a Support Network: Connecting with Fellow Stay-at-Home Moms
Having people around you who are also in the same position is a great way to feel connected and not lonely. I actually don’t know any other stay-at-home moms so it can be hard for anyone to relate to what my days are like whether on a good day or a not so good day. I think mainly thats why I started this blog, as I thought surely there are women out there doing the same as me and also in the same situation. (Maybe I will start a FB group in the future for us all)
What I have found helps is attending the local childrens centres, you can meet other parents and the kids absolutely love the activities!
Managing Finances: Budgeting Tips for Stay-at-Home Moms
Regarding budgeting, potentially we all now have one income unless we are able to work from home and have the kids. This means its a good idea to start to be more careful with your money. I do this by trying to meal plan, I don’t always have the time but when I batch cook it forces me into this mindset. This saves a tonne on food shopping and actually highlights to me what we already have at home to feed the family before buying more.
There are lods of free activities locally for the kids, including the park, childrens centres and on your local Facebook groups – so be sure to check them out before spending unnecessarily.
Conclusion: Thriving as a Stay-at-Home Mom
I absolutely love being a stay-at-home mom, and I wouldn’t change it for the world and if I can inspire more mums to do the same I will. Any questions, drop me a message on my contact page and I will get back to you asap! (Plus it would be nice to meet more stay at home mums!)
This post is all about being a stay-at-home mum.
