Have you ever sat back and reflected on the life you had before you had kids? It’s not that your life was necessarily better, it was just totally different. In all honesty, your life was quite different before you met your spouse as well but life after kids is just a very different adjustment to get used to… it’s no longer just about you; in all honesty, it’s no longer just about you or you and your spouse for that matter! After you have children, every move you make is done with the well-being of your child at the forefront of your mind.
After you have children, one of the biggest decisions you’re going to have to make is whether or not you’re going to go back to work or not. Being on the outside looking in, answering this question can seem like a no-brainer but it’s really not that easy of a question to answer… there are several considerations to think about.
For one, it’s not a decision you can just make on your own; you will need to talk with your spouse about this matter. Before kids, your home was a two-income household but now that you’ve had a child maybe you’re not ready to go back to work… you would have to think about if you would be able to maintain your current lifestyle on just one income. Or maybe your spouse doesn’t want you working after having a child… you just have to look at your family’s dynamics as a whole to be able to make the best decision for your family.
If you choose to return to work and commute there every day, that’s perfectly fine. You would simply now have to add childcare into your budget (if you don’t have family or friends who can watch your little one while you go back to work). Now, it’s also important to know that choosing to not return to work is also an option that’s perfectly fine as well.
The thing that most mothers find unattractive about being a stay at home mom (SAHM) is that they think it’s going to be extremely boring, especially when they initially commuted every day to work; the thought of staying at home is mind-numbing to them. Well, the good news is that staying at home doesn’t have to be as big of a chore as you might think it is.
What Do You Do All Day?!
At this point, you’re probably wondering what do stay at home moms do all day! Well, that’s the thing… every mother’s routine is different but a commonality among all SAHMs is survival. As a SAHM, you’re feeding and changing your littles, cleaning up, saying no from time to time, and teaching them good manners! In the midst of all this happening, you might be able to fix yourself something to eat!
The fact that you’re at home makes people think that your job is easy when the reality is that being a SAHM is way harder than working a 9 to 5… why? Because being a mother is a never-ending job. You can’t stop being a mother on weekends and holidays… it’s nonstop. But even in knowing that, it’s still the most rewarding job you could ever have. You just need to know the survival tips and tricks of being a SAHM… once you learn and master these tips, you’ll be an expert in no time, and you have your kids’ whole life to get it right!
Plan Your Day the Night Before
One of the worst things you can do to yourself as a SAHM is to wake up and wonder what you and the kids will do today. You have one child whining in the playpen while the other is throwing soggy cereal all over the floor… you don’t have time to think about what you’re going to do for the day! The only way you’re going to get some order in your household is if you plan your day the night before while the kids are asleep. This will save you time and potentially a headache if you plan ahead the night before!
Start a Business
As a SAHM, you might get an itch where you feel like you want to contribute to your household in more ways than taking care of the kids. It’s not necessarily that you’re not getting enough fulfillment with being a mother but more so the simple fact that you can be both a mother and a working mother as well… the fact that you’re staying at home isn’t going to stop your show!
Now, the fact that you are a SAHM means that you’re going to have to conduct business from your home. So the best business route that’s going to bring you the most financial success is if you start an e-commerce business. The thing about e-commerce businesses is that you can sell whatever you want!
The main thing you’re going to have to do to get your business off the ground is to create a memorable website that people won’t have a hard time remembering. This is especially important if your website’s target audience is geared towards other SAHMs. They already have enough on their plate and trying to remember the name of your website will be one less thing for them to worry about!
Make Mom Friends
Can you ever have too many mom friends? Absolutely not! While you’re sitting on the bench in the park watching your kids play, introduce yourself to some of the other moms that are also there watching their kids play. You might be thinking that you don’t have time to make new friends but what you don’t realize is that other moms you meet might be your saving grace when you’ve had an incredibly stressful day.