People are always like how can you stay at home all day with your kids? And as a stay at home mom to two little boys, I’m going to share the things that make my life easier. I know we live on the Internet, where it can seem like there are only two extremes. Either you are the mom who boasts about how easy it is to stay home, how there’s never really any hard days, and everything is so easy. Or you’re the mom who gets online just to complain about how hard their life is as a stay at home mom and how they regret it and even worse, regret having children. However, my experience has been in the middle.

I think being a stay at home mom is a beautiful calling(and tops any alternative for me personally) and like any other calling that is supposed to help us conform to the image of Christ, it will stretch us as people. And they’re supposed to because how would we grow as people unless we get out of our comfort zones, unless we are faced with seeing traits in ourselves that are less than ideal and are forced to fix it for the better. These things are rarely easy. The same goes for marriage. These are callings that help us to grow in our life and they serve a very important purpose. So yes, being a mother and homemaker is a wonderful vocation, but there are days where it is a challenge. However, we don’t have to lose heart because with Christ all things are possible! On top of that I have comprised a short list of things that have helped my journey as a stay at home mom become easier.

Get outdoors

I think every child needs fresh air, lots of sunlight and lots of physical activities. And as a boy mom in particular, it is extremely important for them to run around and let out their energy. I notice a stark difference in mood between the days we are outside the majority or the day vs the days we are in the house majority of the day. Bonus if you can get out in nature. This could be a simple walk around a park area with lots of trees, a hike in the mountains, a beautiful beach day, or whatever you have around you. Just get outdoors. This has helped me also, especially on the hard days where everyone is overstimulated(I’m referring to myself here lol).

Go on the play dates

This could be harder if you’re an introvert but it is a game changer. Find at least 1 friend who you connect really well with who has kids around the same age as yours(or not) and plan to hang out at least once or twice a week, or whatever works for you! This is amazing for the kiddo’s I’m sure but it’s even more amazing for me as a mom. As stay at home, especially if you have super young kids, I am craving adult interaction all the time and this helps so much with that! Finding a friend who gets you and you get as well, who shows up for you, who pours into you, and who treats your kids as her own is unmatched, especially as a mom.

Don’t take your friendships for granted and if you do not have anyone, please PRAY about this! I have prayed many years to find a specific kind of friend hahah and the Lord bought someone in my life a year ago that I have grown very close to and I thank the Lord for her! You can also visit library’s which has toddler time on specific days, which offer you the chance to make girlfriends! Of course, there is church you can find friends at! I recently met a woman in church who my toddler and I look forward to seeing every Sunday lol! Our kids get along so well and we have so much in common! If I can make friends, as a girl who didn’t need a friend outside of her husband (pre kids days because that won’t fly once you have kids lol), anyone can!

Let Your Kids Join In On Task

I no longer look for ways to distract my toddler. Before I would look for something toddler friendly for him to do while I cooked or cleaned and he would finish early or get curious about what I was doing and I’d get overstimulated quick! I started letting him help me, with the expectation that the task would take longer. This has helped our days go by faster and also gives me a chance to do hands on, real life learning. He looks forward to helping my husband do house renovation(of course with things he can do because he can’t do everything), helping me make food, etc. And it makes him feel like he was actually apart of the team, which he is!

Don’t Forget About You

I don’t mean this in a “don’t lose yourself” kind of way. I am totally aware that becoming a mom will make you lose yourself to find a newer, better version of yourself. And I am okay with that! I mean don’t forget to take care of yourself. This is very important, especially when you are with your kids all day. You have to pour into the things that fill your cup. For me that means making sure I go to weekly or biweekly confessionals, reading my bible, going to church every week, and praying everyday(and inviting my toddler in). For you it may look different. Whatever it is make sure you are filling your cup because when you don’t, the over stimulation starts, the resentment can start, and the days can become dreadful.

I also recommend having a hobby outside of being a mom, particularly one that requires you to be creative! It doesn’t have to be monetized either! It can be writing, reading, cooking, baking, video editing, photography, the options can go on and on. I truly believe that we are made in God’s image and he is the ultimate creator! That means that we too, are mini creators and creating brings a certain joy to the soul that is beautiful once its carried out!

Eat Real Food

I cannot stress this enough! Food ingredients matter more than we think. I have seen my toddler act totally normal and then have a treat from being out and act totally different. It was almost unnatural. I have also noticed a shift in my mental health and energy levels when I consume unnatural, overly processed food, and lots of sugar. It is like not a good day, at all for me. I am short tempered, I’m more irritable, and small things bother me more intensely. Most people don’t recognize it’s the food, unless you do an elimination diet or keep a food journal! I eat pretty basic and so when I add something new in, I know pretty soon how it affects me. Food has the ability to either fuel me or turns me into a mad woman!

Ever since noting this, I make it a point to feed my family the best I can when I can because I know I can’t control everything. There will be situations where we visit a friends house and they cook something that I wouldn’t necessarily cook, but we still eat it because that’s the right thing to do imo. So I realize situations will always arise that are out of my control but I can control what we eat majority of the time at home.

For me this doesn’t mean eliminating any food groups, which may seem shocking considering I myself am a very strict eater. But for my toddler, he eats all the food groups! I just try my best to make sure I am getting quality ingredients and whole foods! We even do lots of baked goods, but I try to use wheat berries instead of store bought flour or I’ll do honey or maple syrup instead of sugar. For dairy I try to get raw dairy instead of conventional, overly processed dairy! For meat, I prefer to get from a local farmer but when I buy at store I like to do the quality meats! Small things like that make a big difference! Because again, we can’t control the wifi, the air quality, the toxins that we consume everyday, but we can control little things!

I’d love to know from you moms, what are some things that make your home/life as a stay home mom run smoother?