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Life as a SAHM | Staying Motivated


If you're anything like me, you probably dreamed of finding the man of your dreams, falling in love, getting married, which turned into you eventually having children and staying at home with them. This was my dream. Ever since I can remember, I imagined having children and staying at home with them until they started school. I am very blessed and thankful to be able to have the opportunity to do this. Not many mama's who desire to do this, have the ability to. So for that, I am grateful. However, don't you find that what you picture tends to be a lot different from reality? We build up expectations of what reality is supposed to look like, then fall into a state of anxiety and despair when we realize we can't maintain these expectations of ourselves and those around us. Our realities aren't all we expect them to be, but that's okay. I want this blog post to encourage you stay at home mama's to be gracious on yourself. The changes that come with becoming a parent are plentiful. Don't add more unneeded stress to your life by being too hard on yourself.

Don't get me wrong, staying home with your babies/children does come with a lot of perks. Yes, it's a constant demand on your time, your physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual state; however, the time you don't with your little ones is time that should be cherished, valued and prayed over. One of my favorite things about being home is staying in my PJ's until my daughter goes for her first nap (this is typically around 9:00/9:30am)

A question that I get presented a lot about being a SAHM is, "How do you stay motivated? Don't you just sit around all day. What do you even do with your time?". First off, i'm going to get super real here, don't ask mom's this question! It's extremely rude and insulting. Just because I stay home to raise my children, doesn't mean I have all the free time in the world. In fact, it means I have to daily plan out and scheduled my time. If I don't do so, the day gets away from me with multiple tasks, baths, cooking, cleaning, etc. that I am unable to complete everything I set out to. Trust me, I am no expert, but I do have a few tips that I hope will help you stay motivated if you're a SAHM and keep you on track throughout the day. Yes, of course there are days when I am completed exhausted. I have days where I stay in my PJ's all day long.

1) Establish a schedule - Not only is this a helpful tip for you, it's extremely beneficial for your child. When you establish a schedule, I promise you will find that your day flows a lot more smoothly and you and your child are in better spirits.

2) Make a daily to do list - You can do this each morning, or even the night before you start your new day. I find this helpful to organize my thoughts and stay motivated at the tasks I know are before me. If I have my list written out, I am more motivated to accomplish and check off each of these items.

3) Clean / do chores when your children are playing - Now this can vary depending on the age of your children; however, I find that it's helpful to clean when my daughter (14 months old) is playing or occupied with a book or if she's enjoying some TV time. A lot of people advised that you clean when your child is napping. I find this isn't as helpful for me. When my daughter naps, I like to utilize that time for myself. Even if I only use 20 min out of the hour that she sleeps. This will help keep you sane!

4) Plan out your meals - Meal prep is key. You can do this each day or weekly. If you plan out your meals you will not only utilize your time, but you will save money in the long run too. I find that we tend to eat in more often when I have a planned out schedule of meals. Healthy, cheaper and easier you on mama.

5) Have a "Day off" day - Many people have told me that this isn't a good idea for staying motivated. When you work outside the home, you don't get the luxury of a "day off day". I explain that while yes, I understand you don't have that luxury, but when staying home, it's important to have a day where both you and your children can "recharge". This will in fact help keep you on track and motivated with the rest of your week. If you're drained and completely exhausted, you're not going to have enough of you to give to your child or your tasks. We tend to have this day on Mondays. For us, Sunday's are a write off. We have church in the mornings, which interrupt Addison's nap schedule, so this throws off her day. We tend to meet with friends or family on Sundays as well, which although is fun, can be very tiring.

* One thing I just adore about being a SAHM, especially to a little girl, is that I have time to plan out her outfits. Bee Three Boutique is an adorable Etsy shop that sells the most darling bows! They are incredibly trendy, affordable and excellent quality. My daughter rips bows off her head a lot and these bows hold up well! If you're interested in shopping these adorable bows visit www.etsy.com/shop/BeeThreeBoutique or follow along at www.instagram.com/beethreeboutique

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