The Myth of the Stay-At-Home Mom

Being a stay at home mom, or a sahm, is one of the greatest benefits of motherhood that is so enjoyable. Watching your little ones grow and develop is such an experience to behold. Watching them take their first step, lose their first tooth, make their first potty and even cry their first tear makes memories that can be treasured for years to come. But, the idea that a stay at home mom actually STAYS at home is a myth. Once the children are mobile (which is generally between 9-12 months), the stay at home mom doesn't't stay home anymore.

There are the mom and me classes for gymnastics. There is the library trip taken once a week. Don't forget scheduled play dates with the Mother's Day Out friends and then the weekly trip to the pizza parlor or the local McDonald's. Yes, the stay at home mom isn't't at home. She's out.

To get back to the life of a true stay at home mom, there are a few things you could do to re-mold your lifestyle to fit this idea. If you truly do want to be a mother who actually stays home, is a homemaker and finds the child entertainment mainly at home, follow these steps:

1. Sign up for an online library access membership. This will limit your trips and visits to the local library to check out books. Where available, they will usually locate the books and have them ready for you at the checkout counter, or will in some cases mail them to you.
2. Invite other kids over to your house to play instead of always going out to go to other's houses. Try to go out only when absolutely necessary, or when your play dates fall through.
3. Use child care services like Mother's Day Out or Pals and Me sparingly. Be careful that these services don't consume too much of the stay at home mom's and child's lives.
4. Volunteer for committees and fundraiser's carefully. These things can consume an enormous amount of time and talent. Only give a portion of your time in what you can reasonably and ideally afford.

Following these few simple rules can allow you to truly enjoy why you're at home - - and that's to be with and enjoy your children. Once you organize or reorganize your time, you will see that being a stay at home mom is a pleasure, and not a chore.