S.A.H.M. some of you may know what it stands for and others may
not. It stands for stay at home mom, which is what I am. I get asked all the
time, "what do you do all day?" Some may get offended by this
question but I see it as an opportunity to share what it is we SAHM's do all
day. I'd like to say first off that we are all different and do different
things. The majority of the time I am a stay at home mom but I also work for my
parent's business so I do go to the office a couple of days a week but I do a majority
of my work from home while Hadley sleeps. I am extremely grateful I have this
job, not only does it supply an extra income but it also gives me a break and a
purpose. So often I hear about many SAHM's that struggle with depression
because they feel like they have no purpose, let me tell you...YOU DO HAVE A
PURPOSE!!! Staying at home and raising your kids is one of the hardest jobs out
there. I have often questioned if I am doing the right thing by staying home
because honestly some days are extremely hard. But just like in any other 9-5
job, you're going to have those hard days when you second guess if what your
doing is right.
If you're wondering what I do all day when I am home and not in
the office, I am here to tell you. We start our mornings off by taking care of
the animals and then of course eating breakfast. Hadley usually plays by
herself in the mornings while I clean or work. I am a neat freak and usually
clean once a day, that involves sweeping and wiping down counter tops, toys,
etc. Really the rest of day is just whatever I need to do either for work or
run an errand. One thing I always try to do is stay with a nap schedule. I have
learned that Hadley does not behave like herself if she doesn't have a nap. She
requires a lot of sleep...and I mean a lot. A normal nap for her is about 2 1/2
- 3 hours long. She still goes to bed around 8 and does just fine. There are
times when she doesn't want to nap and those are tough days. I usually load her
up in the car with her blanket and turn on the Disney lullabies and head to
Starbucks! Not only does it put her to sleep but its a nice coffee break for
me. This was all my husband's idea. Even when she was just a few months old she
had issues with naps at times which then lead to him coming home to a very
stressed out and tired momma. So he would encourage me to just load up in the
car and drive, get your starbuckys (as he calls it lol).
There are some things I do with Hadley everyday that are not out
of routine but just because she loves it. Hadley loves to be quizzed. This is
something she developed at a very young age, like 7 or 8 months. She learned
animal sounds around that age and she would get the animal puzzle out and point
and make their sound. The thing is though, she doesn't want to just come up and
tell you what all she knows...she wants someone to ask her. She has these books
that are great for learning colors, numbers, animals and first words. These are
her favorite books. She will pick them all off of the shelf and bring them over
to wherever I am and I know what she wants to do. Sometimes I am in disbelief
that she knows all of the things that she does already. She can now count to
5...sometimes 6, she knows most colors (she never seems to recognize yellow),
shapes and animals. A new concept we've been working on is feelings. Her
favorite expression to make is the sad face but she can't hold it long without
giggling lol! I will link all of the books below that we use and love.
Hadley's favorite thing to do is outdoor playtime. She loves
running around the farm and exploring. Now that we have animals it has made
outside time even better. Usually her favorite thing to do is sit and play with
rocks and get as dirty as possible lol. We tend to go out first thing in the
morning and then before bed to try and avoid the heat. Things like her slide,
swing, water table and trampoline keep her busy and active! Hadley doesn't know
it yet but we got her an outdoors playhouse for her birthday! I think I'm more
excited than she will be! I always wanted one as a kid so I knew it was
something I definitely wanted to get for her someday. Another outdoor activity
she loves is sidewalk chalk. She will sit for 30 minutes at a time and just
color. I try and draw shapes and have her guess what they are and the color.
Asking her these types of questions is something I do everyday randomly. It
keeps her focused on what were doing and helps stimulate her brain.
Dinner time is my favorite time of the day. Usually because I
don't eat much or at all during the day so Im starving! But also because this
is the time of day when we're all together as a family and get to relax for a
little bit. I typically cook 5 nights a week, sometimes 6. I always give myself
at least one night a week to have a break and order takeout or go out to eat.
Cooking and baking is something I consider a hobby of mine. I love to try new
recipes and Ross loves it too! I usually get my recipe ideas from Pinterest, my
mom or Pioneer Woman. Something that has helped me stayed organized while trying
to plan out meals for the week is my journal called Eat Well- menu organizer, I
will link it below. I also use a free printable I found on google for a grocery
list. It basically helps you categorize the items which I find extremely
helpful. I also don't go to the grocery store anymore, I click list! It has
been such a relief. Hadley doesn't do well at all in the store anymore and I
typically get scatterbrained in the store and forget things...even when they
are written down on the list. I highly recommend click list, it is worth the $5
to not have to fight with your kids the entire way or bribe them with candy or
in my case, stickers lol.
So there you have it... this is what being a S.A.H.M. looks like
for me, pretty exciting right?! You wouldn't believe how many people have asked
me what I do all day or if I get bored, so if you are one of those people here
is your answer. If you've ever thought about being a S.A.H.M but your worried
about having too much time on your hands or getting bored this may change your
mind... it has taken me 4 weeks to finish this blog post! It is stressful job
at times but oh so rewarding. I am so thankful I am able to stay at home, it is
such a blessing. As always, thanks for taking the time to read my post. Have a
great rest of your week and God Bless!
Here are the links to the some of the books and other things I
mentioned earlier.
Books we read everyday:
Eat Well- Menu Planner:
https://inkwellpress.com/collections/meal-planners
Grocery List Template:
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