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After my 2nd child was born, I left my job in the corporate world and decided to open a home daycare. My husband and I decided that the cost of 2 kids in daycare would not justify me working and paying a huge amount of my check to a daycare facility. Even though I was terrified of leaving the job I had worked at for 11 years, I knew it was the right decision for my family. Little did I know about these common mistakes that Stay at Homes Moms Make.
During my time as a stay at home, I will admit that I had some regrets. I wish I would have played more with my kids, taken them to the park or played in the water sprinkles more and volunteered at their school but I also regret not taking care and focusing on me.
5 Mistakes Stay at Home Moms Make
- Not Taking a Break- As a SAHM (stay at home mom), it can be hard to take a break. Compared to jobs outside of the home you can’t always have 2 scheduled 15-minute breaks and an uninterrupted 30-minute lunch. Most likely you will either not get a lunch or your lunch will be with kids that refuse to eat their mac and cheese, so it’s important to try your hardest to schedule a time alone. some ideas might be to go on a quiet walk around the neighborhood when your husband gets home or after dinner or when you put the kids down for quiet time. Doing this will hopefully give you time to meditate and enjoy some peace.
- Not Putting You First- As a SAHM, when my girls would go shopping with me, I always found myself forgetting to treat myself to a new outfit, makeup, shoes or a purse but instead I would immediately find myself in the kid’s section. I am not sure if I did this because in my mind I did not need anything new because I primarily stayed home, whereas my kids “needed” new clothes for school.
- Being a Maid to Your Husband and Kids- I became very guilty of this. SInce I was home a majority of the day, I blindly let my family help less around the house, therefore causing me to clean up after everyone.
- Focusing on Being a SAHM 100% of the Time- If you can, it’s important to get out of your house, have a side job, volunteer at the school or anything that helps you to advance your skills and feel like a person and not just a mommy. It’s important that you not forget who you are, grow your adult circle and be more than a SAHM. Trust me, this will help boost your confidence for moments that you begin to feel useless.
- Guilt- Throughout the time I was a SAHM, I continuously felt guilty. The main reason for feeling guilty was because I was not bringing in an income like I used to. Even though I created a few small home businesses and brought in some income, to me, it was not good enough. I had so many moments of thinking that I never did enough.
I was a stay at home mom until my youngest daughter graduated Kindergarten. I loved having the opportunity and was extremely lucky to see and help them accomplish different milestones. If parents are able to, I think it’s healthy for both the child and the parent to stay home until they reach a certain age. My biggest piece of advice if you are able to stay at home with your kids is to relish every moment of it because our little ones grow up too fast, but also make sure to avoid the common stay at home mistakes that most parents make.
What mistakes did you make as a stay at home mom?
You may also enjoy these parenting posts: 10 Effects of Being a Stay at Home Mom, How Not to Mess Up As a Step Parent, and 5 Tips on Getting Your Child to Sleep.
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