Being a stay at home mom is seriously a never-ending cycle of hard work and exhaustion. We wake up every morning, ready to take on the day, but with no end in sight. It can be difficult to explain to others just how tiring being a stay at home mom can be.
As a SAHM, you are essentially taking care of your home and family 24/7. Your days are filled with routine tasks like cleaning up after kids, cooking meals for the family, doing laundry, grocery shopping, etc.
Then there are all the unplanned tasks that pop up throughout the day—like taking kids to doctor appointments or running errands for forgotten groceries. On top of all that, SAHMs also have to manage their own stress and exhaustion levels in order to be able to keep going.
Being a stay at home mom involves more than just taking care of children; it’s also an endless list of tasks that need to be completed for our homes and families.
From cooking meals, cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping, to helping with homework, taking kids to appointments and activities, and managing household finances—the list goes on and on. Honestly, I don’t know how I would’ve been able to do it without my husband. This man comes home from working a 12-hour shift and will cook if he has to…it helps so much for those really hard days.
It’s no secret that being a stay at home mom is one of the most exhausting jobs around—and yet one that doesn’t often get much recognition from friends or family members who don’t truly understand what you’ll go through each day! And honestly? Do we even want to explain ourselves? Sometimes we get the “but you chose this life” face so what’s the point in that? The only other person in the world that can genuinely, without any judgement or stares, agree with us, is another SAHM.
And that brings me to my next point:
Taking some time out each day to connect with other SAHMs who understands what you’re going through, is so important!
Staying connected with other mothers who understand what you are going through can help you cope with any feelings of isolation or loneliness during this time.
I have two other SAHM friends who try to stay in contact with me every week or so. I don’t expect them to call or text everyday because I know the struggles of even trying to have an uninterrupted conversation over the phone.
I usually would FaceTime call when I am working on the blog or even cooking. The point is: to make the time.
If you don’t have close SAHM friends maybe you can find support in another way like through forums or Facebook groups, or even in person through local meetups or playdates with other families who have children similar ages as your own (like a homeschool co-op).
Talking about our struggles with those who get it has been proven to help reduce stress levels significantly which can lead to better mental health overall so I really think just being able to speak to another person that can relate to you is so liberating.
How do you make time for friends when there’s really no time?