How to Feel Fulfilled as a Stay-at-Home Mom
Staying at home with children is an enormous privilege and a great way to contribute to society. I mean we are raising tiny humans, after all. But learning how to feel fulfilled as a stay-at-home mom can be a dream to some.
And, staying at home with littles is not without its challenges. My kids are in school now, but after a year of earaches and illnesses from daycare, I decided to leave my teaching career of 13 years to become a stay-at-home mom to my son. Then we had baby number two and all heck broke loose. The chaotic life of having more than one kid, starting to wear on me and my husband as we had some parenting challenges with our oldest having multiple tantrums a day – can you say, strong-willed toddler?
Although there were days of complete exhaustion and tears, the rewards outway the moments of survival mode parenting.
Yes, my fellow mamas, there is fulfillment to be had, even when you are a stay-at-home mom of little ones.
So, here are some ways that you can cope with the challenges of life as a stay-at-home mom and find fulfillment and joy in the little things that happen in parenthood.
There are a plethora of tasks that need to be accomplished on a daily basis as a stay-at-home mom.
The first thing that happens when staying home is managing expectations from your partner who is working, other family members who may or may not understand what you do all day, and yourself – should I get up and make breakfast or should I let the kids fend for themselves?
As you continue on this journey, use the tips below to help you cope with the challenge of being a stay-at-home mom and continue to find fulfillment in yourself.
How to Cope with the Challenges of Life as a Stay-At-Home Mom
There are many challenges to parenthood and if you are a stay-at-home mom, at times, it seems they are amplified. You are there 24/7 with your little ones and managing the stress of it all can be challenging. It is best to find ways to handle your stress, so you do not burn out and become exhausted. Here is a post I wrote about how to stop overwhelm as a stay-at-home mom. Go ahead and check it out now. I’ll wait for ya’!
7 Tips to Make Sure You Feel Fulfilled and Happy as a SAHM
The point of this article is to help mothers find fulfillment and fulfillment in their role as SAHM.
Moms are often the forgotten workforce, but there are many benefits to being a stay-at-home mom.
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How to Feel Fulfilled as a Stay-at-Home Mom: 7 Tips
1) Give yourself permission to be yourself.
It is important to give yourself permission to be who you are. This will not only make you feel more comfortable in your own skin, but it can also make life easier for others around you. If people know who you are, they can better appreciate the person that they are interacting with.
This will also benefit your kids in the long run. They will see mommy has a personality outside of just changing diapers and cleaning up spit-up.
Your kids will eventually become what you do and being yourself is a perfect example to set.
2) Don’t Fall Into The Comparison Trap
We all have that one friend that continually has a clean house, kids are well-dressed and forever clean, and his/her car looks immaculate on the fly.
Yet, comparing yourself to the super-mom friend who secretly is probably having a mini-meltdown as the kids dump a milkshake on the perfection of a vehicle, isn’t going to do you or her any favors.
Comparison is the root of all evil. We are all different with different lives, backgrounds, and personalities.
You are not your neighbor or your friend, chances are you will never know what their life is like. And trying to be perfect all the time, is definitely not fun for the people around you.
Focus on yourself, on your purpose. Stay true to who you are and don’t compare yourself to others because then you will only see the negative parts of their lives that they want to show off
3) Take time for yourself.
If you are a mom of little ones, or really any age, it is important to take some time just for you. Walk to your favorite coffee shop, read in the park, or take a ten-minute bubble bath while your partner watches the kids.
Try journaling and jot down thoughts and emotions.
The point is to find something you enjoy and give yourself permission to take a mommy time-out to enjoy yourself again.
Related Mom Posts:
- 10 Self-Care Tips for Moms
- Creative Self-Care Tips
- How to Practice Mom Self-Care
- Exercise and Diet for Self-Care
- Self-Care Activities for a Bad Day
- Wake up Early for More Self-Care
- 7 Tips to Avoid Mom Burnout
4) Ask for help when you need it, not just when you want it.
If things are feeling like they are getting out of hand, ask for help. Yes, most of us moms are not good at this, but it is the best way to catch up and get ahead on things if you are falling behind on housework, laundry, shopping, etc.
Find a babysitter or a mother’s helper to come a few times per week so you can get your stuff done.
If you are like me and work from home, these extra hours can be used to do your work or get ahead on phone calls, emails, or other important tasks.
5) Surround yourself with people who support you in your role as a stay at home mom
If you want to feel fulfilled as a stay-at-home mom, find people that support you and make you feel good about yourself and your choices. If you hang around working moms that judge you and don’t think you do anything all day, this will not make you feel good. (By the way, working moms need to find fulfillment too and either role is not easy.)
6) Find Contentment
Feeling content will help you feel fulfilled as a stay-at-home mom. If your choice was to stay at home with your kids, be happy with this choice and make the best of it. Find joy in being there for all the moments of milestones your kids will go through such as learning to walk, saying their first words, and seeing mommy’s face every day. Be grateful that your kid is with you.
7) Be Intentional
If you are at home with kids, be intentional with your time. Learn to plan out your day and set goals for yourself.
Create a schedule that works for you and adjust as needed as you see what works and what does not work.
Be flexible but don’t let the day pass you by scrolling on your phone, or watching Youtube. Enjoy the time with your babies and soak up every moment you can.
How to Feel Fulfilled as a Stay-at-Home Mom
As you can see, it is possible to feel fulfilled as a stay-at-home mom, and giving yourself grace is the first step. Make sure to have a support team and don’t be too hard on yourself. Be intentional with your time and find contentment in the small things. Take it one day at a time and make sure to take time for yourself as well. You’ve got this “mom thing” down! You will see how quickly it goes by and you will be grateful you didn’t miss a thing!
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