Staying at home with your children is a job that’s both rewarding and thankless.

Stay at home moms are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with very little time to themselves, if any at all. Moms who stay home (don’t let the term fool you–it’s work, believe me.) should strive to spend their time in a way that’s most valuable to them.

As moms, too often we work sacrificially and selflessly to the detriment of our family life. It is then that we become short-tempered, judgmental and even jealous of those who have more freedom in their lifestyles. We find ourselves discouraged with the daily duties of a job that never feels finished. We begin to question the value of what we’re doing and our self-worth. This has happened to me, and it’s probably happened to you, too. We must be proactive by taking care of ourselves to help prevent reacting this way.

When this happens, you can set and achieve goals for yourself. Often, this feels impossible with all of the household tasks of cooking, cleaning, finances, and keeping little ones occupied or just keeping them safe.

Here are some ideas to achieve some balance if you stay at home:

1. Make lists. Make a daily list of things you want/need to accomplish. This could include long term goals like organizing the hall closet, or short term goals like loading the dishwasher. Make a separate list of personal goals that you want to achieve that make you feel good. Maybe it’s taking an art class you’ve always wanted to take, or reading a book, or spending one hour of quiet time at a coffee shop while someone watches the kids.
2. Spend 15 minutes a day working on your goals before going onto the routine housework. Maybe one of your goals is to do yoga. Get it done first, preferably before anyone else wakes up, then you’ll feel refreshed enough to tackle the day. You can even do this during nap time, if you have a little one that naps.
3. Do your work. Listen to music while you get your chores done, and get the kids involved. If you prefer to work in quiet, assign them special activities to complete while you get it done. You’ll be motivated to get work done once you’ve done a little self-care.
4. Get out of the house. Take a walk around the neighborhood with the kids or play in the backyard. We love to have play dates at least once a week at the library, a friend’s house, or the park. It’s a good time to chat with other adults while the little ones play.
5. Get away ALONE. This is probably the most difficult thing for stay-at-home moms to do, yet it’s probably the most important. Getting away without the kids and without your spouse is essential for you to be able to refresh yourself. You’ll be a better mom when you get some time to clear your head away from the little ones for a while. (And don’t feel guilty for wanting or needing a break.)
6. Self-Care. All of the above can be considered some form of self-care, but check out my series on self-care for moms for more details and tips on how to make that happen.

Thank you for reading! If you’ve found some value in this, please share. I appreciate you!