11 Ways to Thrive as a Stay at Home Mom

6 months ago, I decided it was time to be a SAHM (stay-at-home mom).

I have a Bachelors Degree in Finance and a Masters Degree in Business and was at an awesome place in my career.

Yet, I gave it all up to stay home with the kids.

“What?! Are you crazy, all that hard work and schooling?!”

That is what some said.

Others told me I am lucky that we can afford to do this and that they dream to one day be able to do the same.

AND the ones who were already stay-at-home-moms told me that it is going to be the best decision of my life.

They were right.

So here are some things that have helped me thrive through the transition of career woman turned stay-at-home mom:

Look at Raising Children and Creating a Home as Your Career, and more importantly, your calling.

Raising Children and Creating a Home for your family is a full-time job. You may not be receiving a paycheck, but your reward is far greater than anything money can buy.

Changing diapers, potty training, washing loads of dishes and laundry, calming tantrums and being alone with little people who don’t know how to thank you yet can feel discouraging at times.

Even when all of your hard work goes unnoticed, don’t let that discourage you.

This is your career, this is your calling! Find ways to be more organized, keep learning, and strive to grow every single day!

You can even set goals and work on things that you are struggling with.

The bottom line is, no matter what anyone says, raising little humans is the most important work you will ever do. Never forget that!

If you struggle with finding more purpose and daily satisfaction from motherhood, read my post here on How a Stay at Home Mom can Change the World!

Create a General Routine

Just like any job requires a schedule and often a routine, being a full time mom is also a full time job and requires the same.

Adults and children thrive on consistency so having a routine in place and a game plan for each day/week helps you prioritize in a way that helps you be productive and efficient. You are more likely to be productive when you have a checklist to complete throughout the day.

If you don’t currently have a routine in place and your days are chaotic, start with basic things that have to happen each day and then build from there.

For example, you know that each day you need to have breakfast, lunch, dinner and somewhere in between naps for the kids.

Keeping naps at the same time each day is great for the kids and this can be your time to do chores around the house.

Now that you have your daily basic routine items on the list, fill in the gaps with errands and somewhere in there (either early in the morning or late at night or somewhere in between) you should squeeze in your exercise or alone time.

Routines become easier as you stick to them, the days begin to flow together more naturally and your kids will be happier too. Less chaos means less tears.

Don’t procrastinate

One thing I do not do if I can help it is procrastinate. That is when life gets overwhelming and you feel like you have a mountain of to-do’s to climb.

Keep with your schedule, do one load of laundry a day, and as much as you can, get things done and don’t let them pile up.

Make smart choices!

Check off the list first, and then sit down and relax

Don’t overfill your schedule

Learn to say no.

Don’t commit to too many play dates, birthdays and things to the point where you are constantly exhausted and don’t have time to keep up with daily to-do’s.

Know when to take a day off and just stay home with the kids and take it slow.

Meal Plan

I have found that whenever I don’t meal plan, my kids eat less healthy meals and more snacks than anything else. I also find myself eating junk food because I simply just didn’t plan my meals thus don’t have the necessary items to prepare a proper meal.

Meal planning will help you eat healthier, shop more efficiently, save more money and you will enjoy more variety of foods.

For each grocery store trip, think about the meals you want to have for the week and buy based on that.

Keep the fridge and pantry stocked with healthy snacks such as yogurt, nuts and fruits and vegetables.

Having meals planned out makes breakfast, lunch and dinner an easier task because you have a game plan and you know that you will have all the ingredients at hand.

Community

Your little ones are fun to hang out with and all but let’s be honest, they can’t quite carry the kind of meaningful adult conversations that you need.

Make friends. Build your own little community.

Find some girlfriends you can meet up with for play dates. While the kids play, you can talk and connect. Share experiences.

Find some friends that you and your husband enjoy hanging out with and make time for dinners, outings and trips with other people.

Find time to visit family and host little get togethers.

Community is so important. It keeps us connected to the outside world and is good for the soul.

Wake up early

If you know the kids wake up at 7:00 am, try waking up an hour earlier. When you alarm goes off, get right up and start your coffee.

Do something that relaxes you, whether it be your workout time, reading a book, writing, blogging or just surfing the web or social media.

This is your quiet, alone time. As the day begins and the little ones wake up, you may not have another opportunity to yourself until they go to sleep.

Waking up earlier is a sure way to start your day energized and recharged.

It also keeps you from being suddenly awaken by the little ones demands for things but rather, you can mentally prepare and be ready when they wake up, checklist in hand and a smile on your face!

Get enough sleep

Sleep is so important as a mom. Not sleeping enough will make your body week and can lead to headaches, reduced energy, fatigue and you will be more susceptible to catching a cold or the flu.

Not to mention you will probably be groggy and grumpy from a lack of sleep!

Make it a priority to go to bed early enough each night.

Yes, your favorite show may be on late in the evening, but your kids won’t care that you were up until midnight watching television.

They will still be up at 7:00 am and they will be demanding your full attention.

Make exercise a priority

Studies show that people who exercise regularly have feelings of well-being (better mood), sleep better, are more alert, manage their weight easier, and are more motivated to maintain a healthy diet.

Starting a fitness routine is not hard, sticking to it can be the challenging part.

Make exercise a part of your every day routine. By making sure you have a set time that you workout each day and not compromising, you will be more likely to stick to it long term.

Finding a workout buddy and mixing up different exercises will also keep you more motivated.

People who stick to a workout routine end up loving it and find it hard to give it up.

I look forward to my daily workouts and rarely skip them!

Don’t Stay Home

While it’s nice to have days where you stay home and don’t go anywhere, don’t stay home every single day.

This can become lonely and isolating. Even if you just go to the store, park, or for a walk.

Get out of the house!

Hobbies or Side Hustle

Blogging is my hobby and my “side hustle” because I do make my own money through this blog. Find a hobby that you love!

Even if it doesn’t make money, if it brings you joy, that is all that matters!

I know some moms that sell furniture on Craigslist, other moms have Etsy shops, and some like to take paint or art classes. There are so many hobbies, find yours!

For ways to be a happier mom, read my blog post here!

And if you are a working mama, read my blog post on “Working Mom Hacks to Get More Time With Your Kids.”

And here is a blog post on some of my “11 Daily Habits for moms!”

I hope my motherhood type posts can help you be happier and make motherhood easier and more pleasant!

I’ve learned so much from other mom bloggers, friends and women and love to share the knowledge! <3

Any topics you want to see, shoot me a note in the comments or via e-mail!

As always, thanks for stopping by!