Advice for Stay at Home Moms

The decision to leave my job and stay at home with my children was both the best and worst decision I've ever made. The job of a stay at home mom is rewarding, and at the same time lonely. You sacrifice much more than just a second income to stay at home, and those sacrifices can start to add up ending in bouts of depression and isolation. There are, however, a number of outlets, resources and advice that a stay at home mom can use to ease the transition from the workplace to the home.

Lower your expectations

One of the biggest mistakes made by new stay at home moms is trying to take on too much from home. When you're working, it's easy to stop and think of all the things you will be able to do once you are away from your job. Unfortunately, the reality of staying at home is much different. Babies are difficult, demanding, and have a knack for throwing a wrench into your plans. Sometimes it's all you can do to keep up with the children, the house, and possibly even yourself in one day. A good friend of mine left her banking job to stay at home with her infant twins. When the twins were around 6 months old, she and her husband were attending an event at his law firm when one of the other lawyers asked her, "You're a stay at home mom? What do you do in your spare time?" "Sleep," she replied. "No, I mean your spare time," he tried to clarify. "Oh!" she said, "In my spare time I eat. And shower." The truth is, most new stay at home moms have very little time for themselves. Trips to the gym on lunch breaks are no longer possible, swinging by the store on your way home is not an option anymore. And in those first few months, when the baby finally does get to sleep, you're too tired yourself to be productive.