Stay at Home Survival

Ah, so you're going to be a stay at home parent. Congratulations! I wish you all the best, and I would like to impart on you just a few things I've learned during my 3.5 year stint:

1. Invest in some decent coffee and wine. You're going to need plenty of both to get you through. Going to one income makes you think about buying the cheap coffee to save a few bucks. I don't advise it. When you're seeing all hours of the night with a newborn, you're going to want the good stuff come 6am.

2. Do not take "stay at home" literally. Out of the five weekdays, we might stay home for one of those days. Might. The key to feeling like a functioning member of society is to continue going out into public at least once a day. Whether it's a quick trip to the store, or to the post office or to get gas- just, get out.

3. Speaking of getting out, here are a few other places you can go: any and every park and playground, the mall, the library, the pet store (we call this the poor man's zoo), the local kids-run-around and mom-gets-to-drink-a-cup-of-coffee cafe. The best place to go? Play groups. They even have ones for babies, but it's much more for the parent's sanity than anything else. I started bringing Rosie to one when she was just two months old, and never looked back. I wholeheartedly believe that she had such an easy transition to preschool because she had already been socializing with other kids for so long. Bringing her and Buddy to play groups is one of the best things I've ever done.

4. Find some stay at home parent friends. Much harder said than done, depending on where you live. I didn't feel like I had bona fide fellow stay at home parent friends until pretty recently. I'm not quite sure how I managed before them, because, honestly, they just get it. And our kids? They run around together for three hours without interruption, having a blast. I feel like right now, 3.5 years into being a stay at home mother, I finally have it made. Finally have it kind of figured out. It can take a while to feel this way! Kids getting older, and being able to do more, definitely helps.

5. A schedule is your friend, at least it was for me. Some people don't need a schedule to operate efficiently. I do, which was no surprise, considering that was a personality trait of mine before I had kids. The key is to remain flexible. So when I say "schedule", I mean a very loose interpretation of one. A general order of when things will happen throughout the day. While impossible during the newborn days, a schedule becomes possible once naps routinely happen at certain times. My kids thrive on schedules- they like knowing what comes next! Don't we all?

I wish you the best as you begin your journey doing what I believe is the hardest and best job in the world. And if you feel like you're going to go insane at any moment, shoot me a message. I will gladly commiserate with you. You are not alone. This parenting gig is hard work, but the benefits outweigh the negatives every day.