Survival Tips For Stay At Home Moms
Have you gone through a day just to think where did the day go and what have I done all day? Do you have survival tips for stay at home moms that’s work for you?
I’ve had those days where I felt like the only thing I could do was to do it to survive. Whether it was because I was sick, the kids were sick, or we were just all having a bad day, we managed to survive somehow.
Reasons For Survival
Do you have a reason for survival? Are you surviving for yourself, your kids, or your family? What makes you get up every single morning and do what you need to do to get through the day. Is it something you do because you want to or something you do because you have to. It’s your role as a mom that gives you the reason for survival. Here some some survival tips for stay at home moms that might assist you on your daily routines.
Have Your Morning Drink
No, I don’t mean a Pina colada or a martini silly! I mean your go to morning drink. Whether it’s a cup of coffee or a tea, or even a smoothie with that hint of collagen powder, sip on that drink with some what of an ease. Sometimes even a simple lemon in a warm cup of water does it for me too. I used to not be able to take caffeine because it affected my sleep patterns at night, but now my body has slowly gotten used the caffeine, and it’s one of my best friends.
Not Everything Needs To Be Perfect
Who says things need to be perfect anyways? Who made up the law that says everything needs to be perfect? Perfection is a myth made up by those who feel the need to be perfect and want to portray that onto others. One of the best survival tips for stay at home moms to know is to get rid of tat mindset that things need to be perfect. Dishes in the sink can wait, and playroom full of scattered toys are okay. It’s just a sign that the kids had a good time playing with the toys and that they also had a good meal to eat.
Get Dressed Even If You’re Not Going Out
Even though you might not be going out or just staying home, get dressed. Sometimes getting dressed and putting on some make-up can change your mood in a more positive way too. Every morning, I make sure to get out of my pajamas and into day time clothes. It can just be a jean and a shirt or a jogger and a top, but it’s still getting dressed. Putting on a face can also be your choice. You can do a full on make-up or even just a quick morning skin care routine, but these can play a big role on getting your day started.
Prioritize
Prioritizing what’s important on your list of things to do and get done can play a crucial part of the day or the week. Not everything needs to be done all at once. Categorizing the things from most important to least important can help keep you from going crazy. Prioritize your duties in the order that is most helpful to you. Some people like to get hard things done first and leave the easy tasks for the end, while others like to do the opposite. So depending on how you prioritize, it can play a difference on how you tackle each task.
Make Music Your best Friend
By making music your best friend, you can take it anywhere. Whatever you have to tackle on that day, take music with you. By creating a playlist or a favorite station, turn it up and get the day going. I love to have my favorite stations on when I’m cleaning or folding laundry because it just helps me work in a happy mode.
I can sing my heart out while cleaning and groove with the music while folding. My kids have also learned to turn on Alexa when they need to clean their rooms as well. It’s just keeps you in a positive mood while doing chores that you might not be fond of.
Self-Care
The importance of self-care for moms has escalated more in the recent years. The feeling of guilt is slowly decreasing and the need of self-care and initiating it has increased dramatically. We, as moms are slowly realizing that we have to take care of ourselves FIRST, in order to take care of our children and family. Self-love and self-care is not selfish and it must be acknowledged.
Take Breaks
Moms are superstars and I will be the first one to admit that. We accomplish so much more than we think we can. But we must also remember that our mind and body don’t always work the same. Sometimes our mind will say stop, but the body will keep going and vice versa. That’s when your body is telling you that you need to take a break. Keeping your mind and body functioning together is important.
Always Expect The Unexpected
As a mom, you learn that things may not always go the way planned. You have a plan, but it’s’ always wise to have a back up plan. If you don’t have a back up plan, just be aware of changes in plans. So many plans have changed from previously planned events and it becomes part of the norm sometimes.
One kid might become sick or plans might get cancelled and we learn to deal with them as they come. Always having a goto back up helps minimizing the headaches though. One of the biggest survival tips for stay at home moms is to learn that things may or may not go accordingly and that it’s okay.
Get Out Of The House
For whatever reason it may be, get out of the house at least once or twice a day. Whether it can be a trip to the grocery store or to the mail box, take a break from your home. As a stay at home mom, your house become your work force. And since you don’t have a 9-6pm shift and it’s a 24/7 work load, getting out of your “work” zone refreshes your mind and body in ways you can’t imagine.
I personally see a mood shift on the days when I’ve been home all day versus when I take a short break out of the house. Just like you take a break away from your desk at work, take a break away from your home, A quick drive around the city can even be beneficial.
Have A Support Group
Support groups are so helpful because it doesn’t require a physical assistance. Having someone to talk to about your long rough day, or to share a relatable story with someone who understands your situation is so helpful. It’s not easy being a stay at home mom where most of your days conversation is with your kids. So when you have a support group of other women or moms, you can vent and share relatable stories for tips and ideas.
Ask For Help When You Need
I’m the first one to agree that asking for help is not the easiest thing possible for moms. Not only because we feel like we can get it done, but we also don’t want to bother others for our work either. My parents live close to me but I hardly ever ask for help anymore because I’ve burdened them during my postpartum with my first born, when life was just a blur. Now I’m more busy trying to handle things on my own as much, but obviously I will ask when I need to.
The best piece of advice when it comes to asking for help is don’t wait too long, to a point where you are burnt out. It’s better to ask for help a little here and little there, then to ask for help when you’re exhausted to a point where nothing can be done.
Kids Can Play By Themselves
I know that we often feel guilty for not being able to play with our kids at home sometimes. When chores are backed up and laundry is piled, we have to make a decision to get things done. Find time to play with kids in different situations, but know that kids are okay playing by themselves.
They don’t always require someone to play with them at all times. Obviously, doing some activities and having play time is important, but watching them playing is also okay. When I’m working on a project, my son will play in front of me after school and talk to me as he plays, which is perfectly fine. He’s doing his thing and I’m doing my thing, while we talk to each other.
Eat Whenever You Can
All moms know that there is never a designated time for moms to eat. Sometimes breakfast becomes lunch, and lunch becomes dinner. Let alone, trying to sneak in a little snack when the kids have their snacks is a blessing in itself. But all jokes aside, trying to maintain a good eating habit is also important for yourself as well as the keeping the house in check. When mom is healthy, things are smoother in the house.
Exercise
You know, I need to take my own advice on this one. Exercise to maintain a healthier body. This is also at the bottom of my list on a daily basis, but should be something that should be closer to the top. The amount of benefits you get from even 20 minutes of exercise is amazing. Giving your body the movements that it requires is more important than you think. It can be simple walk around the block or a morning routine of squats and jumping jack. Anything that can get the heart rate up a little with some body movements is good for the soul.
Don’t Feel Guilty About Screen Time
I know there there’s always a difference in view when it comes to screen time. Some parents are anti-screen while others are in full support with it. I’ve come to terms that some screen time everyday does not harm my children, as long as we come to an agreement that it will always be a limited amount. For my family, we always give children the length of how much they can watch and put a timer on it, that way they are aware of how much time is left on their allotted time slot. It helps everyone learn that screen time will always be limited but that they also have a feel of getting their own time.
One of the reasons why screen time is allowed is also because my husband and I are on our devices. My main reason is for work purposes but still. I want my children to feel like they also get a little of what the parents do too. If the parents are on screen time, then my kids can get a little as well, and I’ve come to terms to not feel guilty over it. It’s just a family screen time sometimes without watching the same things.
So many factors play in knowing the survival tips for stay at home moms.
You have to go with what works for you and you may not find that answer right away. And that is okay. It’s okay not to be okay because no one expects a perfect mom.
Remember to keep these survival tips for stay at home moms in mind when things start to get overwhelming. Try to maintain them before you get overwhelmed because it might get harder when it reaches that point.
Do things with your own pace and not someone else’s.