Be Happy, Stay Happy :)

Being a Stay-At- Home-Mom is just like any other job. The difference is we don't get to take the sick leave or half-day off, no annual bonus etc. It's a full-time commitment, on-call 24/7. I'd like to share part of an article that I feel can help any SAHM 'stay happy' with the job...taken from "How to Stay Happy as an At-Home Mom" by April Duncan.

 

 Talk to Grown-Ups

 

Your conversation with other adults is severely cut when you stay home with kids all day. Even if you head out to the playground, the discussion topics with your mom friends generally range from breastfeeding to bowel movements.

Get together with other adults for a night out. Brave a weekend vacation with your girlfriends or throw a girls' night in party. See if you can leave the conversations about your kids at home. This is a big challenge when you're out with friends who are also parents. Set a few rules beforehand so you're not spending all of your adult time discussing report cards and trying to top each other with gross-out stories.

Think of your conversations with adults as your own structured playgroup for your mind. It's hard to keep your social skills sharp when you're talking to your children all day. As much as we love our kids, it's still important to talk to grown-ups too. 

  

Brag About Your Job as an At-Home Mom

You must be too lazy to work. You wear your pajamas all day while watching soap operas. You probably don't even brush your hair (I'm sure this so NOT true, heheee). Stay-at-home moms certainly know this is far from reality. Unfortunately, there's still a certain stigma attached to the stay-at-home job title. You will run across people who act completely unimpressed by your commitment to stay home and raise your children (I've seen many). How will you react when asked, "What do you do for a living?" You may take that long, awkward pause before you answer. Don't let someone else's jaded views affect your self-esteem. Be proud of your stay-at-home mom career.

If you're nervous when someone asks what you do, show off those social skills you've been practicing without the kids around. Tell people you're the CEO of SAHM, Inc. or the Operations Manager of the Smith Household. Your answer will break the ice and you'll be the witty SAHM everyone remembers. 

Create a Time Management Plan

We joke that mommy brain has 'slowed' us down. In reality, our head is swimming from a packed schedule with soccer practices, naps and kiddie bathroom breaks.

No wonder we can't remember anything. We're too busy trying to remember everything.

Create a realistic time management plan to get better organized and simplify your day. This will also free you from that constant stress of thinking you're forgetting something on your mental calendar. That's a fast way to brain drain.

Celebrities don't bother trying to remember everywhere they have to be on their own and you're much busier than they are. A time management plan is like your own personal assistant and you're the rock star with a small, sometimes screaming, entourage.

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Well Mommies...how's that for a guide. Some would say it's easier said than done, but you have to take charge of your life. It's so easy to hide behind the kids and chores, while you lose yourself. We'll have to learn to respect ourselves. 

Just like any other job, we deserve the rest, the reward and the attention. Let's not wait for these to happen, we have to make sure we get them by  loving ourselves first.  Put on that nice dress to the grocery-shop, doll-up at home, give yourself treats once in awhile.  
Feel good!

Only when we love ourselves, we are able to love and fully dedicate our efforts towards the family, God Willing :)

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Sheen Mars is a SAHM who is on a journey of continuous learning and she especially enjoys sharing information and having friends share thoughts and stories - for her and everyone to reflect on. Read Sheen's Sharing Notes at =>> http://missionpossible-sahm.blogspot.com/search/label/Sharing%20Notes

Acknowledgement: 

Duncan, A (2011) "How to Stay Happy as an At-Home Mom", Boost Your Emotional Well-Being to Be a Better At-Home Mom,  About.com Guide, http://stayathomemoms.about.com/od/emotionalhealth/a/behappysahm.htm