Momma Monday : 15 Tips For a Stay At Home Mom!

I can't even begin to imagine how many times when others ask what I do, and I reply "I'm a stay at home mom" how many looks I get, the "oh, that's... nice" comments. Well, sorry I don't have an out of home job, but I work 

7 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 

Us SAHM's are taken for granted on a daily basis. The hard work we put into keeping a clean and respectable looking home, food on the table, running the errands our husbands may not be able to get to during the day, and teaching our kids right from wrong and helping them grow up into respectable young adults. 

Some days my husband may come home from work and the house is a complete and utter destruction zone, but our kids are clean, healthy, and fed and quiet in front of the TV for 10 minutes before they go nuts again, and I'm just soaking in the sweet sound of silence.

At last, here are some tips and fun ideas for the super stay at home mom and how to keep your cool when you feel like your at the end of your rope :)

• WAKE BEFORE THEY DO. Unless you have a newborn, then just pretend to be dead until they wake up for their morning feeding, you'd be crazy if you didn't haha. Even if it's 20 minutes before they usually get up, have a cup of coffee. Enjoy a nice hot shower and put on some makeup and do your hair. Or just sit still in silence and pray maybe today your kids might be quiet and not so rambunctious.

• NEVER RUN OUT OF WIPES. I can't fathom this enough, or you will be SOL literally haha. The other day I did, and both my daughters decided to have a blowout. No explanation needed.

• KEEP TRACK OF CLEANING SOLUTIONS. Like how you can get crayon off your wall with toothpaste and a scrub brush or pencil crayon and markers off your walls and floors with a simple spritz of AP cleaning solution and a sponge. You will need these for your little artists who can't just stick to paper. 

• RECORD THEIR HEIGHT. It could be a chart you pin on the wall, a piece of trim on a door frame, or even a wall. My girls love this idea and love showing our family when they come to visit how much they've grown :)

• READ TO THEM EVERY NIGHT. Even if it's the same book, over and over, this is how they learn new words and names for animals and objects in the books. Since I've been reading to my girls every night their vocabulary has increased amazingly, and pronunciation is even more fantastic.

• PLAY OUTSIDE WITH THEM. Go to the park. A walk around the block. Go kick or throw a ball around. Play on some swings. Get them outside, they will be in better spirits and not so irritable being cooped up inside, and even sleep better. Even if it's raining bundle them up in some welly boots and a rain coat and go jump in some puddles!

• TAKE SOME INTEREST. You HAVE to take some time during the day for yourself. Take up scrap booking, knitting, sewing, painting, writing, gardening, go to a book club or volunteer somewhere for an hour a day. It will save your sanity in good time.

• TEACH THEM. Let them help you in the kitchen may it be making lunch, putting together a sandwich or help you bake a cake. Yeah, it may take less time if you get to do it, but think of how much fun they'll learn to do this on their own someday and it's a huge step in the direction of independence. 

• SAY GOODNIGHT. My favorite part of my day. I put them into their beds at night with a warm bottle of milk, a story, and a comforting cuddle. CHERISH THIS MOMENT. For it will be gone quickly. They'll grow up and sooner or later won't need you to tuck them in, or read them a story or even sing to them. 

• TRY TO SAY "NO" AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. Try to turn those no's into yes's like instead of "not today" say "maybe we'll go next week". Ever since I started doing more of this my children have become more understanding to the fact of if we don't get around to doing it right that second or that day, that we'll eventually get to it in the near future. 

• STICK TO A SCHEDULE. It's super important to stay true to your schedule with waking up and going to bed, nap time, feeding times, bath time, etc. The more you can stick to your schedule the better of they'll be for consistency and not be so frustrated when something there used to isn't happening. 

• KEEP UP ON HOUSEWORK. I know, it seems and endless task, and at most times impossible especially if you have little ones, just try and stay on top of it all. I used a Cleaning Schedule I found on pinterest. It's simple, easy, and covers the bare essentials to keeping a tidy(ish) house. Once you fall behind, it takes FOREVER to catch up to where you were haha and nobody wants that :)

• DON'T OVER OBSESS ON MOM FORUMS. This was my biggest downfall when my daughters were younger. I spent my days reading posts on circle of moms, about infant health, what to do and what not to do, different ways to teach your children new things like walking, talking, and motor skills. Then you get sucked into the other momma drama from people who post about their husbands/wives cheating and leaving them to be a single parent, how will they make it on their own, or how somebody elses child is reaching milestones yours hasn't yet and have a huge age difference between them. Yes, it has been useful on numerous occasions, but it makes you second guess yourself as a parent when you are comparing your child's development to that of another. You are an amazing parent, and provide everything your child needs. They develop differently, and are capable of things beyond your understanding, wait till they surprise you :)

• SPEND ALONG TIME WITH YOUR PARTNER. This is SO SO SO SOOO Important!! You need that time to yourselves to go to a movie, go out for dinner, to an old spot you used to hang out when you were young and in love. Alone time usually takes the backseat while your raising kids, so enjoy every opportunity, and time away from the kids at least once a week is good for your relationship. Not to long ago my husband and I went on our first night out in a year. A WHOLE YEAR. And by god did we ever need it. We both came home more relaxed, and enjoyed our evening tenfold. 

• SHOW THEM LOVE. Everyday, let your family know how much you love and appreciate them. Let your husband know how important he is to you and that you really appreciate when he does something nice for you, or when your kids do small things for you even like picking up their toys or drawing you a picture to hang on the fridge. Hug them, give em smooches, and endless amounts of cuddles, show your affection for them and they'll give that love back :)

I can't stand it when people say, "You're JUST a Mom?" Yes, I am a mom (and a damn good one) ! That makes me and alarm clock, cook, maid, waitress, teacher, nurse, referee, handyman, security officer, photographer, counselor, chauffeur, event planner, hairdresser, personal assistant, ATM, AND I scare away the boogie man. I don't get paid holidays, sick pay, or days off. I work DAY&NIGHT. I am on call 24/7 for the rest of my life. That's just BEING A MOM!! I may not be anything to you, but I am everything to someone ! :)