I have been a stay-at-home mom for over 11 years now. It has been the best time spent on being available for my kids, simplifying life with my husband’s schedule, and following the calling of my faith. I don’t think the transition is easy, however. When we shift from working full time to being stay-at-home moms, life can feel very different.

I was asked to share a basic course in becoming a stay-at-home mom. I am calling it Stay-at-Home Mom 101 or Intro to Being a Stay-at-Home Mom. You will find what has helped me find joy in being a SAHM every day plus tips you can apply to your life at home as a mom.

Being a Stay-at-Home Mom: Stay-at-Home Mom 101

I originally shared my Stay-at-Home Mom 101 tips with you over in our group Stay-at-Home Moms Share Together. Getting to interact in live formats is really fun, but if you missed the video you can view the replay here.

Stay-at-Home Mom 101 Tips

Tips for moms is what we specialize in here on the SAHM Guide. So let’s break it down to some simple considerations that help us all remain focused on why we are present with our families, and how to maintain joy despite the tough days.

Tips for Finding Joy and Success as a Stay-at-Home Mom

Simplify Life

Stick to scheduling one event outside of the house each day, or every other day. Don’t overload your schedule, That can lead to burnout-and less quality time with the kids-really fast!

I like to schedule in events like playdates or coffee dates with other moms, free or cheap kids activities in our area, playground visits, or great outdoor activities when the weather is nice. Keeping it simple gives us something to look forward to each day, but not so much on the schedule that the work piles up at home.

Make Home the Priority

If the dishes are piled up, the laundry needs to be folded, the floors all need to be vacuumed, and the kids’ toys are all a mess, it won’t look or feel like you have accomplished much in your time at home.

While we need to offer ourselves grace for the days that throw us challenges we do not control or predict, we do benefit from looking at our homes as our work and make that our priority. This is why I like the successful mom checklist and/or done list idea.

One event outside of the house per day-or even every other day- still gives me time to clean up my kitchen, help the kids straighten up their rooms, and feel on top of the household chores that are my work as a stay-at-home mom.

The more I let this go, or get distracted by non-household work things, the worse I feel at the end of the day. Plus I want to teach my kids about priorities. A clean house is a good priority to have even if magazine perfection is not the goal.

Make a Mom Mission Statement

I love this tip because it keeps our eyes on the prize. Kristin Helms, walks us through how to write a mom mission statement in her book From Boardroom to Baby.

I also shared my tips for staying focused on your SAHM mission.

Write it down.

What led you to stay at home in the first place? What long term goals do you have for your time at home? Focus on this. It will fuel you on the days when you are overwhelmed.

Fit in Time for YOU

There were seasons of my motherhood journey when this was harder than I thought it should be. When we have babies, they need us on demand, so scheduling in me time for moms can be tricky.

What I do is fit in simple me time activities to multi-task:

• Sneak out for a couple of hours to get my nails done on a weekend when my husband is home.
• Grocery shop after church on Sunday when my husband can be home with the kids.
• Swap babysitting with neighbors or friends.
• Read devotionals, personal growth materials, or other books after bedtime.
• Develop a hobby into a home based business so your “me time” is income producing.
• Create spa moments at home with special masks, scrubs, shower bombs and Young Living essential oil-infused DIYs.
• Spend time with your husband after the kids go to bed. We leave our phones in the bedroom and watch shows or movies together to have some quite kid-free time.

Stay-at-Home-Mom Perspective

I keep a sign in my guest room/office (where I sneak in some of my me time writing these blog posts for you) that sums this all up for me.

“If you live a life of love you will love the life you live.”

Our choice to be stay-at-home moms is all collectively rooted in love for our families. We all want to do the best we can to care for them. With that as our focus we can not fail.

What helps you stay focused on all the good work you do each day as a stay-at-home mom? Any tips you have learned along the way that we can include here in our Stay-at-Home Mom 101 tips?