I always say being a stay-at-home mom often feels like Groundhog’s Day – reliving the same day over and over again. I’ve put together some of my favorite tips to help break up the monotony and prevent stay-at-home mom boredom {and burnout}.
I have been a stay-at-home mom on and off for the past 5 years! This post was inspired by some of my experiences, with some ideas from other fellow SAHMs.
Stay-at-home mom life can be a privilege and is extremely rewarding at its’ best. However, I think we all experience some very complex feelings along with it – from the loss of self-identity, the redundancy, and financial dependency (just to name a few). With these tips and ideas, I hope you experience more ups than downs!
If this post resonates with you, read my post on the honest truth of being a stay-at-home mom.
1. Get Out of the House
I am a routine and scheduled person, so getting out of the house when my kids were babies (with a short wake window) just gave me anxiety. However, once that wake window increased I found that doing some sort of out of the house activity really helped to break up the day and add some excitement!
When those windows were still short, sometimes this was just a quick trip to a nearby store. Once they hit those toddler years, we tried to plan fun activities almost everyday.
Sometimes this was just the dollar store or the pet store, other times it was a morning trip to the mall. Plus, when you’re out of the house there is less mess to clean up (at least during that time).
The more you do it, the easier it becomes – and it might prevent you from losing your mind or sanity. Whenever you get bored, find new things to do or places to go.
For more ideas, read Fun Places to Take Your Toddlers to Break Up Your Day.
Find a Stay-at-Home Mom Friend
Having someone to hang out with during the day provides you with that social stimulation that is often lacking as a SAHM – even if it’s just meeting them at a playground for an hour. Not only can your kids hang out together and entertain themselves, but you’ll have someone who gets it.
I found a stay-at-home mom friend and for about a year we would hang out regularly. It was so nice to have someone to talk to and our kids had fun together!
If you don’t know any other mom friends, go to the library and attend classes just to be around other moms.
Organize your Day
Many moms feel like having a sense of routine can be a saving grace. If life as a stay-at-home mom feels unmanageable, writing out lists on what you would like to get accomplished and when you can make those things happen might make the days feel less overwhelming.
Also, ask yourself what do YOU want to get out of your day? What makes you feel better about yourself?
Prioritizing certain tasks and lowering expectations can be a game-changer to maintaining your sanity. Find a balance that helps to ease your mind but also allows you to be flexible.
Pick a Day to Get Out of the House By YOurself
After about a year with my youngest child, I told my husband I needed to get out of the house at least once a week by myself. I started scheduling this time in – even if it was just an hour at the grocery store.
Let me tell you – those small pockets of time to yourself add up and prevent burnout as a stay-at-home mom. Get a shared calendar app (like TimeTree) with your significant other and schedule in that time for yourself.
Figure Out a Workout Routine
Once you become a mom, it starts to become all about the kids and less about yourself. You might find yourself feeling down about how you look and feel.
The good news is that you have a lot of options as a stay-at-home mom to figure out a fitness routine that works for you and your lifestyle. Even if that means workout out with your child, or distracting your little one(s) with Ms. Rachel for 30-minutes so you don’t have to do it at naptime!
I find that working out in the morning gives me a sense of accomplishment and those endorphins really do make a difference. I have so many resources on at-home workouts for inspiration!
At-Home Workout Inspiration:
— Easy, At Home Workouts for Moms
— Heather Robertson Review
— Taylor Swift 4-Day Workout Plan
— Busy Moms Cleaning and Workout Schedule
Find a Side Hustle or Hobby
Not only do you financially rely on someone else as a stay-at-home mom, but the lack of mental stimulation can really take a toll. One of the top queries on Reddit for stay-at-home moms is how to make some extra money.
Figuring out a side hustle or hobby helps to bring a sense of purpose to your life so that your entire identity isn’t taking care of your kids!
I started this blog as a portfolio to maybe start doing some freelance writing but what I found was that I just loved it so much. Will I ever make money from it? I don’t know, but it gave me that sense of purpose other than my kids.
Maybe it’s starting an Etsy shop, joining a book club, learning a new language, writing a book, taking online courses, or starting a stay-at-home mom TikTok. For awhile, I join this site called User Testing and made $10 a day providing insight on products and websites.
Watch TikTok
Find some relatable stay-at-home mom influencers to follow on TikTok to brighten your day. If you don’t have a stay-at-home mom friend, there are many accounts that post relatable videos and you might think “Ah, it’s not just me who feels this way”.
Prioritize Self-Care
Prioritizing self-care as a mom isn’t a luxury – but a necessity. Yet still, self-care always seems to take a backseat due to the magnitude of responsibilities we are juggling and the crippling mom guilt.
Neglecting your own needs can lead to stay-at-home mom burnout and fatigue, impacting your ability to care for your kids. There are actual studies that show that self-care can lead to lower levels of stress, higher self-esteem, improved mental health, and illicit more positive feelings.
I am a big believer that self-care isn’t selfish – it just makes us better moms. That’s what this site is all about – finding a balance that works for YOU. For more on self-care, read this post on Prioritizing Self-Care for Moms.
Delegate and/or Find Additional Support
Asking for help when you need to lighten your load can be so hard – but worth it. Can you delegate tasks to your significant other? Ask a family member to watch your kids for a couple hours?
If you’re really feeling the burnout, can you afford to hire a sitter for a short period of time for yourself? Can you hire a cleaning lady? Find a gym that has childcare?
If you need additional support, make sure you get it! Find a mental health professional to help manage your feelings. I talked to someone for the first couple of years as a SAHM and it really helped.
Another helpful tip would be to set expectations with your partner and try to hold each other accountable.
Be Flexible
Sure, you can make a list and have a plan – but try not to be disappointed if the day doesn’t go as planned. Realistic expectations take away the pressure to be perfect- fostering a more realistic and sustainable approach to stay-at-home mom life.
Encourage Independent Play Time
Encourage your child to play independently while doing something YOU want to do. These days, there is this expectation that moms should be providing their kids with entertainment, all day long.
That gets exhausting real quick as a stay-at-home mom. Independent play and boredom actually encourages creativity and imaginative play, which are valuable skills to have!
Change Your Mindset
Just a simple change in mindset can make all the difference. This doesn’t have to be forever. Your kids are only young for a short period of time.
One of my biggest worries was that I would never find a job with a large break on my resume. I found a two days a week job, then realized I would rather be at home!
With my second child, I waited 2.5 years to find a new job. And guess what? I was surprised to find that it really wasn’t as big of an issue as I thought.
Enjoy it while you can – it doesn’t have to be long-term. It can be whatever you want it to be.
Fun Ideas to Try to Prevent boredom
These ideas may seem simple or obvious, but just a small change in routine like listening to music while you’re doing dishes can have a HUGE impact.
- Start a hobby or learn something new.
- Listen to music while doing chores.
- Get outside or take a walk.
- Try a new activity.
- Start a TikTok.
- Find a mom friend.
- Volunteer.
- Join a book club.
- Experiment with new recipes.
- Listen to a podcast or audiobook.
- Read a book.
- DIY home projects.
- Gardening. Learn something new.
- Start a new fitness routine at home or go to a gym and utilize the childcare.
- Learn how to make sourdough.
- Meal prep.
- Look at Pinterest.
- Follow Stay-At-Home Moms on Reddit.
- Play music and have a dance party.
- Play with bubbles.
- Learn to face paint (your kids will love it).
- Have a picnic.
- Bake or cook with your kids.
Hang In There!
I hope this post gave you some ideas to try and get you out of that stay-at-home mom funk. From my experience, winter is especially the hardest!
I know screen time is “frowned upon” but I found that it’s essential as a stay-at-home mom. Sure, if I were working every single day my kids would probably have a lot less screen time. When you have stuff to do and you don’t want to lose your mind, it’s essential.
There is only so much entertaining we can do! Are there any other tips you would add to this list?
