Stay at Home Moms: Keeping your Sanity

“Get out of the house every single day, join a gym, enroll in classes (swimming/music when they are young), make dates with other moms for lunches, etc. Go for lots of walks. Cook more and better food now that you have time. Clean your own house (save money on the housecleaner), Do the finances for the house, taxes, refinance, run household maintenance, deal with landscapers and keep the cars maintained, etc” - Mama L

“Take what you used to do in a day and pick ONE thing – just one – to get done (not one big thing and a lot of little ones, just one) in a day. And when you have a newborn, pick no things. If you eat, go to the bathroom and maybe dress yourself be proud! I wish I was joking, but I am not.” - Mama A

“Because I work from home, I figured it would be pretty easy seeing as I set my own schedule. I figured, well when he sleeps I can work. It is not that easy! At the beginning I was so tired that when he would sleep, I would try to take a nap. And now that he is older and is more active during the day, I really can't get much work done. We are going to get an in-home nanny 2 days a week which will let me get some actual work done. It is someone who was a nanny for a friend's sister. She has known her a long time and totally recommends her. I would not have just hired a random stranger through a service. It was important to have someone who comes personally recommended.” Mama P

Sleep: “Best advice is to go to sleep earlier than you ever have before, tough to do, but helps a lot. Did it a lot in the beginning, then started feeling a lot more normal...stopped and started feeling like hell, and trying to do it again.” - Mama R