Being a stay at home mom for many is a dream , but being a stay at home mom to one, two or more children 24/7 can leave many moms feeling overwhelmed, depresses and stressed from the day to day demands of being at home. The benefits are suppose to out way the down sides but sometime stay at home moms need adult interaction and others who know what they are going through to help them get through the day. I love StrollerFit for this. IT is a place to workout, a place to vent your frustrations and a place to make friends who you can bind with while your children make friends.
Many husbands and working moms think a stay at home mom is tending to the children and picking up the house, when really they may be struggling with finding balance between children and housework. Many feel isolated while being at home and coping with the sleep deprivation and stress by their job at home. Here are a few steps that some of my StrollerFit moms have said help them.
- Reduce clutter. Living in a cluttered environment on a continuous basis raises stress levels. Try carving out small increments of time each day to start reducing the clutter that exists in the home. Freeing the environment of unnecessary things can promote a feeling of peace in the home.
- Schedule the day. Being a stay at home mom is a full-time job (with no paycheck), the day tends to not have the structure of a typical job. One mom said creating a flexible schedule day helps provide focus for the daily tasks at hand. It also may help the child to be flexible. If the schedule is so rigid the child will be unable to cope when it changes, making life tough for mom.
- Take time to enjoy the family. Many times Stay at home moms get lost in the household chores. Keep in mind that there will always be laundry to be completed, crumbs to be swept and bathrooms to be cleaned and it is OK to let it go for a moment or to while spending precious moments with your child(ren), it will all get done. Children are only little once. Set the chores aside to get down on the floor and interact with the family.
- Stay active. Exercise can help reduce stress levels. The great thing about exercise is that it can be accomplished at home or at the gym, with kids or by oneself. StrollerFit is great for this and if you can not make class there is always the Mommymuscle DVD's. One of my StrollerFit moms works part time and says the Restore the core DVD helps her relax at the end of a crazy day.
- Connect with fellow moms. The importance of maintaining social contacts for the stay at home mom and their child is something that words can not describe. It is important to maintain social contact when staying at home. Making a connection with a fellow mom who is attempting to navigate the same season of parenting is wonderful for both moms, another added benefit to StrollerFit.
- Carve out personal time. Many of the mom's also struggle with finding time for themselves, often putting other family members needs before their own. Down time or alone time is important for one's personal well-being. Taking a break from the rigors of stay-at-home life allows moms to catch their breath and eventually return to their job with a renewed vigor. Our mom's nights out help, but sometimes a stay at home mom needs a night on her own, a drive alone or a night with friends just to laugh and giggles. And sometimes they need to remember they are women too and may need a night out for a romantic evening with the hubby with the kids at home with a babysitter, this too is OK to do. Sometimes stay at home moms forget that they can have a life away from the kids whether it is out with the hubby or at a event by themselves.
I would love to hear how my StrollerFit moms handle the feeling of being overwhelmed and what works for you.
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