7 Tips to Stay Sane As A Stay At Home Mom

Don’t get me wrong, motherhood is a blessing I’m thankful for everyday, but god damn sometimes we need a break. Motherhood is HARD. The anxiety over the times we are living in, the loneliness, the tantrums, the poop/throw up/bodily fluids in general, and the eternal lack of sleep can ebb away at you til you break. And every once in a while you’re crying in the bathroom begging the universe for just 5 minutes without the shit show. In my personal case, I get to add specials needs children to top that list. And while I love them with every ounce of my being, sometimes the fact that as a SAHM and their primary caretaker means I don’t usually get a break, wears on me. Everyone needs a break and some me time. Everyone needs to protect their mental health. So here’s my list of survival tips to keep your sanity 👇🏼

1. Don’t be a hero & take the help – Whether you’re a new mom or on toddler #5, people will always ask if you need anything, and it’s our instinct to say no. It’s been ingrained in us as human beings to be independent and to do everything ourselves, even if we really do need help. So the next time someone offers to watch the kids for a couple hours, take them up on it! Oh someone offered to bring meals? Accept them! You can’t be the best mom you can be if you are drowning.
2. Take a class, ANY class – Put that babysitter to good use! Go to yoga or spin or dance! Exercise not your jam? Try a cooking class or painting or pottery! Don’t have a babysitter? They usually have mommy & me classes at your local YMCA or public library. Basically, whether your baby is with you or not, get out of the house and go somewhere you can socialize with other human beings.
3. Walk it off – The stress, the baby weight, the annoyance at your spouse…the list goes on and on. Carve out a time each day to strap those babies into a stroller and get moving. Bonus – walks usually lull a baby to sleep 😉
4. Have a (loose) routine – Having some sort of routine will at least make your brain think you have less chaos 🤪 My typical weekday routine: get them up & clean & out the door for school drop off. Back home with the little one for dishes & laundry. Outside time followed by school pickup. Dinner, bath, and bed. Then if I can keep my eyes open I get to watch a show that’s not animated.
5. Find a hobby – You need to have something that’s just for you. Whether it’s plants like me or knitting, or journaling, or baking, or painting, etc. You want to be able to have a means of escape for yourself without leaving your house.
6. Join a mom group – Whether it’s in person or online, it’s important to have a connection with other people in the same circumstances as yourself. You need other mom’s to vent frustrations to, share worries with, ask the gross questions to, and celebrate all the little things with 💛
7. Remember your relationship – your spouse is your partner and there for you to lean on, so lean. And try to schedule at least one date night out together a month, so you can enjoy each other without screams and crumbs and talk about something besides diaper rash and poop while wearing something not stained in spit-up 🥴