Reminders for Stay at Home Moms
If you are a stay at home mom, this one's for you. We know how hard you work every day taking care of your kids, your home, and your partner. Sometimes your efforts go unnoticed; the silent mental energy you spend keeping things running smoothly is unrecognizable by outsiders. There are many challenges that come with being a stay at home mom and it’s easy to feel like you’re losing bits of yourself along the way. Here are seven things to remember as a stay at home mom that will hopefully help you feel a bit better about your journey.
Taking care of yourself is important. We’ve said it before and we’ll keep saying it until everyone understands. Constantly putting yourself second is not an option. You need to make sure you are keeping up on healthy habits like sleep, nutrition, personal hygiene, and exercise for your mental and physical well being. Also make sure you’re actively practicing self-care each day, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
We need to eat regular meals. Foraging the last bites of chicken nuggets off your toddler’s plate isn’t cutting it in the nutrition department. Plan out some easy things you can have on hand for breakfast and lunch when you might not feel like cooking for yourself. Food is fuel and running on empty is not sustainable.
Moving your body in a way that feels good can release stress. You don’t have to sign up for an Ironman to be healthy. Taking a daily walk, doing yoga in your basement, or having a dance party in your living room are all wonderful ways to move your body. Do what feels right for you!
Having alone time is not selfish. Everyone needs time to decompress and be alone, especially stay at home moms. If you frequently feel overwhelmed or touched out, take time to be alone to reset your nervous system and enjoy the quiet.
You deserve a break. You do so much every day, even on the days you might not feel like you got it all done. Taking a break does not make you weak or less of a mom. You deserve to rest and recover whenever you want to and however you want to.
It’s okay not to love every moment of motherhood. There are challenging days and nights when you have kids and not all of it is pretty. You are allowed to think an age or stage is the worst, you can wish for things to hurry up and be over (hello, potty training), and you can express emotions about it too. Being a mom is not all sunshine and rainbows all the time.
If you feel overwhelmed, get outside with the kids! Having a change of scenery and a blast of fresh air can benefit everyone when being inside the house starts to get a little out of hand. Embrace the seasons and dress for the weather, you don’t have to be outside for too long to make a big change.
As always, we want you to know you’re doing a great job. You’re doing your best for your kids and that’s all that matters. We know motherhood is hard, but you are rocking it!
