10 Survival Secrets From A Stay At Home Mom

With all the isolation/social distancing going on out there, I figured this would be my time to shine and finally share all the ways that I keep myself sane while staying at home with my daughter. I’ve been a stay at home mom (SAHM) since she was born, and then became a work from home mom (WFHM) about a month after she was born. I definitely made some mistakes when I first started, so I’m hoping to make it easy for you and give you some guidelines that will help you to hit the ground running like a rockstar. The truth is that so many people are home now, for an extended period of time, and no one planned for this. So, here are my tips to make it as easy as possible for you!

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10 Survival Secrets From A Stay At Home Mom

1. Create a loose schedule. Plan out breakfast, lunch, and activities. Try to keep it as close as possible to what your kids are used to at daycare or school. This doesn’t have to be super detailed- just something like time to wake up, time you’ll be eating, and when activities and naps will be scheduled for. This helps you to flow through the day, knowing that you don’t have to entertain them for 10 hours but instead that you’re doing different tasks in time blocks of 1-2 hours.

2. Plan some activities. Look on Pinterest based on the ages of your kids- there are hundreds of ideas! It doesn’t have to be complicated though. Set up a jump rope competition, hula hoop- keep them moving to burn off that energy. Do reading time, or play store, do crafts, listen to music and dance- anything goes! I’d make a list of 20 activities that you can do and then work from there when you feel overwhelmed.

3. Go with the flow. This is SO IMPORTANT. If your kids are having fun, let them be. If they don’t want to do the craft project you planned out, try again another day. I found that when I tried to schedule the day too much, nothing was fun. I was frustrated that nothing was working out according to plan. However, I found that when I loosened up and let Hailey lead the way, she could know me new ways to play with her or just let her do her thing and try something new.

4. Let them explore, play and be kids. This kinda goes off the last one- let the kids do what they want. If you think you can Pinterest the crap out of your day and they will follow through, you’ve got another thing coming. And that thing is STRESS. It’s not just kids- I’ve even noticed that when I’ve tried to plan too strictly for my friends, I end up with stuff that doesn’t get done because we were busy chit-chatting. So, let everything be and save the planned activities for when they are bored or can’t entertain themselves. 

5. The crock pot is your best friend. I hate cooking. Really and truly do. And on the days when I have to cook dinner (I usually do breakfast and lunch, my husband does dinner) I tend to opt for a crock pot meal. The last thing I want to do at the end of the day is make something elaborate. With the crock pot, I put everything in first thing in the morning and let it cook on low heat all day long. Then by the evening, my husband comes home and dinner is done and smells delicious. It’s easy and usually leads to leftovers, which is wins all around for me! My favorite recipes are Salsa Verse Chicken, Greek Chicken, Hawaiian Chicken and Mexican Stuffed Peppers.

6. Plan major work tasks and calls for nap time. If you think that you can hand your kids a few toys and they will be entertained and leave you alone to work… well, bless your heart. Sometimes that works. Many times it does not. So, I schedule all major work tasks and any calls or video chats for nap time. I know I have 1-2 hours to get things done and you’ll be amazed how quickly you work once kids are around. All that lallygagging goes out the window. If your kids are too old for naps, tell them it’s quiet time and they can watch a movie or do something else that will keep them entertained. For us, if it’s not nap time it’s Youtube Kids. I feel guilty, but I pick my battles sometimes. There will be days where she’s entertaining herself ALL DAY LONG. Then there are days where I’m lucky if I can get anything done during nap time besides crying. You gotta roll with the punches. 

7. Take them outside for fresh air. Some time spent in your yard or a brief walk should be fine. Let them run around. Just don’t get within 6 feet of other people or touch play structures. For this, I will say to do your homework in your region. But from what I’ve seen and heard, it’s ok to be outside in public places as long as you don’t go near other people or touch stuff. Either way, fresh air is so important and even a few minutes outside will help everyone’s sanity. Even if all you do is take the dog for a walk or go around the block!

8. Don’t totally reinvent the wheel or totally give up. I know it’s tempting to create a whole curriculum or just say “oh well- tv all day!” The truth is that keeping kids entertained doesn’t have to be complicated or even lazy- find a middle ground. There are tons of online programs for kids to be entertained at all age levels. I know scholastic is offering their services for free this month, and there’s tons of youtube videos and online courses. Either way, fill your time with things that you love. Learn some skills, or have your kids watch an educational program. Even Animal Planet is or Disney Earth movies are educational! Mix that in with some fun stuff, and they’ll be learning while still being entertained.

9. Video chat with friends and family. At times like these, it’s easy to isolate yourself. But, I encourage you to video chat with friends and family. Maybe play a game together or do crafts. Read books, watch the same movie and then hop on a call to chat about it. Keep in touch with my family and if you don’t like the conversations, politely shift them away. You are totally within your right to say “I don’t want to talk about the news right now. Let’s just discuss what you did today” or discuss summer plans… whatever the case may be. I definitely have people in my life that only want to talk about the tragedies. I am more about enhancing the human experience and making things fun. 

10. Give yourself (and your kids) some grace. Patience is KEY here. There are good days and bad days. You will probably feel frustrated and your kids will too. The only thing we can control is our mindset and our attitude. Be annoyed if you want to, but don’t let your mood be ruined all day, everyday. I try to change my mood day by day. If today is bad, I assume tomorrow will be good. I try to change things for the better. I think about what I can do differently- what went well or where did things go awry? I analyze a little too much sometimes, but it’s the best way to ensure that there’s hope for a better tomorrow.

I hope this was helpful for you! This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to staying at home and/or working from home. If you have any specific questions, let me know in the comments and I’d be happy to answer them!