The Best Parenting Advice I Have Ever Been Given as a SAHM

I started off my motherhood journey as a stay at home mom and I’m going to share with you some of the best parenting advice I have ever been given.

Becoming a Stay at Home Mom

Becoming a mom whether it’s for the first time, the second time, third time, etc. is always new. You’ve either never been a mom, or have never been a mom of two, or three, or… let me just stop myself, lol, I am sure you get the point. No matter how many kids you have it is always a new experience, and takes some rearranging and adjustment of your daily life. At the moment, I am a stay at home mom (I have also been a working mom) of 1, and expecting our 2nd blessing, in addition, to being a stay at home mom I am a full time online Grad school Student working to get my Masters in Exceptional Student Education. It can be a lot sometimes, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Thankfully I have multiple people in my life that I truly look up to, like my mom, who has given me the best parenting advice I have ever been given.

The Best Parenting Advice I Have Been Given

After 2.5 years of being a mom, and now getting ready to become a mom of two, I think I finally found some ways to keep my sanity on a daily basis thanks to the best parenting advice I have been given by my mom. Some of these tips can work for both a stay at home mom and a working mom. They’ve worked for me and I hope at least one can help you!

Six of the Best Pieces of Parenting Advice You Need as a SAHM or WFHM:

• Tip #1: Get Up Before the Kids – I still have a hard time waking up before them, and it doesn’t happen everyday, I’m still working on it. However, the days I do wake up before Alyssa, I feel like my days is a lot more productive. On these days, I take time for myself to shower, get dressed, throw on some make up, and look human. I also try and prepare breakfast ( & Hubby’s breakfast – rarely he usually makes his own shake after the gym) before she wakes up. If I have enough time, I’ll look over emails, what blog post I want to get up for the week, and school assignments.
• Tip #2: Set a weekly and/ or a daily schedule – This is something I have done since before I became a mom. Sundays are planning days. I write a list of things I want to do, and need to do for the week, I than look at the week, and start jotting them down. I usually write down the things I NEED to get done (ex. Dr. Appt., school assignments)  first, and then jot down the things I want to do (ex. take Alyssa to the zoo). Although at times things get switched around, it helps me have an overview of what I have going on for the week.

• Tip #3: Set a daily quiet/nap time for the kids – This tip is mostly for the stay at home/work from home moms on a daily basis, and the working moms on weekends. I usually use this time to take a breather and watch my favorite TV show, write a blog post, read for class/do an assignment, or do a house chore. I don’t do all these tasks during nap time, I do one of them depending on my schedule for the week/or day.
• Tip #4: Do one house chore per day – I use to try and get the entire house clean in one day, but then I noticed the house was spotless, and the rest of my life was a mess (I wasn’t spending time with Alyssa, I was getting school work done, I wasn’t cooking dinner, etc.).  I decided to start doing one big house chore a day and things became so much easier! Don’t spread yourself thin. Do what you can, it’s okay if you don’t get everything done. One thing at a time mama.
• Tip #5: Set Quality Time for the Kids – I set time for Alyssa Everyday, and usually its the time between breakfast and nap time.  It’s important to me for her to know that mommy loves spending time with her (it’s also the reason I have decided to stay home, to be able to spend as much time as possible). When I worked I usually separated time between dinner and bed time, and of course weekends were all about her! These activities can take place outside the house – park, pool, zoo (we have a membership), trampoline park, etc., or inside the house – movie, play time with her toys (she loved when we play kitchen), bubbles (on our patio, but I do allow it inside the house sometimes), reading/learning time, arts and crafts, etc.
• Tip #6: Have a scheduled bed time – This can be broken at times, but for the most part it is followed. Every mama needs time for herself to recharge. In my opinion, recharging makes me a better mom so its crucial for Alyssa to be in bed by 8:30/ 9:00 pm at the latest. During this time I usually shower (again), and lay in bed for about an hour watching a TV show by myself, or with the hubby, before we either decide to go to bed or be productive for a few more hours. If we decide to be productive,  he usually gets up and studies for career related exams or begins work assignments for the next day, and I do a whatever task I didn’t do during nap time.

Honestly, the best parenting advice I have ever heard like what I have shared today has made life so much easier, and have allowed me to be the best person I can be in all aspects of life, and I only hope that they help you as much as they’ve helped me.

Let’s Talk: Do you do any of these? Let me know how it’s helped you! Did I miss something?  Let me know! (I’m always looking for ways to be more productive) or let me know if you plan to do any of my tips, and how it will benefit you!

Love,