My only thought when we brought our first baby home from the hospital was I had to make being a stay-at-home mom work. Holding my baby in my arms I felt the weight of motherhood, but also the sure sense that it was my job to take the best care of him that I possibly could. It felt like a calling. That is what helped me survive the exhausting sleepless nights with an infant. That is what kept me focused on my mom goals. These survival tips for stay-at-home moms will break down the basics as you shift to focus on caring for your family at home.
It is not a simple act to set aside your career goals to shift to motherhood. That takes a certain amount of humility, strength, and determination. Whenever I get asked to share survival tips for stay-at-home moms, I start with the main goal being staying committed to the job.
Being a mom is a full-time job. It takes work. And, these tips will be a guide for you to set yourself up for not only survival but success.
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5 Survival Tips for Stay-at-Home Moms
This guide for stay-at-home moms will help you assess your household. It will break down the basics of finances, life insurance, your value, and goals to keep in mind. Read through to the end because I also gathered some wisdom from fellow stay-at-home mom. They share their top tips for you as well.
This mom survival guide will walk you through these topics:
- Recognize Your Value as a Mom
- Financial Security for Motherhood: Cheap Term Life Insurance
- Getting Your Finances in Order: Budget
- Viewing the Household Tasks as Worthwhile Work
- Appreciating the Time with Your Kids
- Words of Wisdom from Fellow SAHMs
Recognize your value as a mom
All the things you do each day to be present and intentional at home is work. It is worth it to raise up confident, successful families. I just want to encourage you that this path may feel challenging, but a few top survival tips for stay-at-home moms are these words of encouragement: You are a parenting professional.
Sounds funny, right?
We do not give parenting its due credit. It is the most important role any parent will fill. So, why not get skilled at it? We can not get better at any skill without spending time doing it. As a stay-at-home mom, stay encouraged. Every day will help you get better and better at being a mom.
Remember that what you do each day to care for your family is valuable work. That work is vital to the success of your family. When you give value to what you do, you see the long-term benefits of it. This means taking the very important approach to giving your work a value.
Financial Security for Moms: Cheap Term Life Insurance
If you are not at home, who will do all the things you do? We don’t want to think like that. But, I do raise my kids to learn to do what I do…just in case. It is not a happy thought, but truly I want my family to thrive even when I am no longer able to make the meals and keep the home clean.
If the worst should happen, are you prepared with cheap term life insurance? The value of a stay-at-home mom is something we need to put numbers to for our family’s benefit. If mom is not cleaning, cooking, and keeping life at home on track it has to be done by someone else. That often means paying or help.
Get yourself educated on the benefits of cheap term life insurance for moms. It can provide a secure financial future for your family. Living our best each day, giving our best to our families, is important. It is also okay to be sure plans are in place to help our families thrive long into the future. That is what cheap term life insurance can do.
Getting Your Finances in Order: Budgeting
The first step to take when you are going to live on one income is have a budget. I shared a household budget template that you can download for free. It can be edited for your household.
A budget is essential for everyone, but especially stay-at-home moms. Knowing how much money is coming in, how much is available for groceries, and staying within those guidelines, eases stress. It is possible to live on one income.
When we had very young babies, I would have to check our bank account regularly before going to the grocery store. There were times I needed to dig deep in the pantry or revamp leftovers waiting for payday. Living within our means is very important. Taking the hard step to stick to your budget can set you up for future financial success.
Focus on the household tasks as work
We moms are parenting professionals. Each of us is doing full time care and management of our homes. That all requires time. We save money by cleaning, cooking and even caring for our children ourselves rather than paying others to do it. Our children get to grow up seeing a parent caring for all we do at home. They learn that it is vital and how to do it.
Set yourself up to stay in balance at home and manage your tasks efficiently. The Quick Start Guide to Balance at Home is a free 4-day course to setting yourself up for success.
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After that, manage your homemaking tasks with the mom checklist or apps like Asana. They keep you focused on what needs to be done. You can prioritize and feel more productive at home.
Appreciate the time with your kids
Being a stay-at-home mom may not be easy. But, when we choose it, we are putting family first and teaching that value to our children. When we have a child, it is a calling to learn how to raise that child effectively.
There will be different ages, stages and hills to climb. But, when you have experienced each stage you will be better prepared to stay focused on your child’s growth. There is nothing better than knowing you did not miss moments. You are home to soak them all up! That leads to a sense of peace and balance.
Words of Wisdom from Fellow Stay-at-Home Moms
A few of my fellow mom bloggers our here in internet land shared their top tips to add to this guide of survival tips for stay at home moms. From financial tips to encouragement, they cover it all. It is helpful to hear from others who are in the same situation that it is worth your time and it will help your family thrive.
Set goals to lower debt, explore work from home opportunities, and don’t give up! Connect with other SAHMs in your area for advice and support.
-Rebecca SAHM to four and blogger at Craft Create Calm
It’s much harder and much more rewarding than you’d ever expect. Truly, it’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced and will take time to adjust to. Be sure to have your finances in order and set realistic expectations for yourself.
My tip would be to find an outlet. Prior to having my first child, I was climbing the corporate ladder in a very successful marketing career. When my daughter was born, I decided to put my career on hold and stay home to raise her. I underestimated the huge transition it was going to be – pivoting from corporate life to mommy life. While I wouldn’t trade staying home with her for anything, I also learned that I needed an outlet – something that I could do beyond the duties of a stay-at-home mom that connected me to the outside world and exercised my pre-mommy life education and skill set. For me, it was creating my blog and doing some freelance writing gigs on the side. But I would suggest that every SAHM find some sort of outlet of their own (painting, volunteering, crafting, blogging, etc.).
– Kristin, author of From Boardroom to Baby
If you currently have two incomes, I think it’s important to try to live on one income so you can get used to being on a stricter budget before becoming a SAHM.
-Melissa, Wading Through Motherhood
I needed to find my outlet so I wouldn’t loose who I am. It is so easy to fall into the mom & wife role (which are incredible) and lose YOU. Your hobbies, your fun, etc. Obviously making sacrifices for your family is rewarding in itself but I started to get burnt out. As soon as I started taking an hour for myself a day I sprung back. Some days it’s taking a bath or even cleaning with my headphones on. Others is spending time outside of the house. Whatever it is take some me time!
Before you make the jump, test your ability to live on one income. Pretending you only have access to your husband’s salary and save every bit of yours.
-Lena, What Mommy Does
When You Become a New Stay-at-Home Mom
The financial challenges of being a stay-at-home mom may be the hardest to adjust to at first. These survival tips for new stay-at-home moms walk your through the value of your role at home, the benefits of maintaining a household budget and cheap term life insurance, and appreciating the time with your children.
When we invest in our families, we will reap rewards. I hope you are encouraged by all of this and wish you well at home with your children.
When did you first decide to be a stay-at-home mom? Any tips or advice you can share with others?
