Self Care for Stay at Home Moms

I definitely still love a solo thrifting trip or a mom’s night out, but if I waited for those moments to fill me up, I could sometimes go weeks without feeling recharged! I’ve had many seasons where getting that coveted “alone time” is hard. Getting out of the house for “me time” just wasn’t always possible – and still isn’t!

‌So I found ways to fill my cup in my house and alongside my kids.

‌And this isn’t just for homeschool moms. If you’re a mama who sends your kids to school, this is important for you too. You don’t want to spend your summer complaining about never getting your alone time, so it’s important to figure out how to recharge your batteries while they’re with you.

Hobbies

Take up a hobby like gardening and sewing that you can do with your kids nearby or when they’re sleeping. When my kids were small, I spent many naptimes and nights sewing. If you enjoy baking or cooking, set your kids up at the table and bake while they play or do an activity.

Some other hobbies that you can do at home: knitting or crochet, embroidery, painting, writing, reading. If your kids are very small, it’s nice to find an activity like embroidery or knitting that you can pick up for small pockets of time, but still be easily interrupted. Especially during the daytime, find activities that can be easily set aside when you have to get back to your kids.

When you find things that you love to do without leaving your house, you’ll find moments of your day – whether your kids are awake or asleep – to pursue the things you enjoy. And you don’t have to be excellent at these hobbies! You don’t need to sew clothes that you’re going to sell in an Etsy shop. In fact, often times hobbies are more enjoyable when they aren’t tied to something that makes money.

Learn a new skill, try a new hobby, and don’t worry about doing it well!

Audiobooks and podcasts

I love reading real physical books, but in this season of motherhood, I don’t have a lot of time to sit down to read. So I listen to a lot of audiobooks and podcasts. Throughout the day, I will pop in one earbud (so I can still hear what’s happening around me) and listen to an audiobook or a podcast while I’m working around the house or even while I’m driving my kids to and from their sports practices.

If your kids are small, buckle them up in their carseats, go for a drive, and get yourself a coffee while you listen! Bonus points if they fall asleep. ;)

Not so quiet time

Instead of waiting for that perfect quiet time when I’m alone, I’ve become accustomed (especially when my kids were younger) to reading my Bible while my kids are all around me. So I’m still getting my soul filled, reading the Word, and connecting with the Lord, even if my kids are awake and all around me.

Self-entertained kids

We live in a culture that has moms thinking they need to entertain their kids all day long. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest ways to burn you out as a mom.

Instead of being their constant entertainment, teach your kids to play on their own and be their own entertainment!

Some great ways to do this:

• give your kids access to creative materials, like art supplies, musical instruments, blankets for fort building, etc.
• have lots of open ended toys available
• less screen time – the more our kids are entertained by a screen, the less likely they are to be able entertain themselves
• create spaces in your home that promote creativity, exploration, and free play – you can see our spaces in our homeschool room tour
• have a robust game collection!

Feed yourself

This one might seem so simple, but when I was in the season of always preparing food for my kids
(and they couldn’t do it for themselves), I would feed myself lunch first before my kids ate. The lunch hour could get crazy, so rather than being hungry and overstimulated and dealing with crying toddlers who were also hungry and needed a nap, I would feed myself before getting lunch together for the kids.

It’s not quite as important to do that now, since 4/5 of my kids typically make their own lunches at home. But it’s super helpful in a season when kids need you to be on point for lunch making!

Find pockets of alone time

Find pockets of alone time throughout your day – whether that looks like staying up late, getting up early, or grabbing an afternoon coffee in another room while your kids are playing by themselves or watching a movie.

I also have zero shame about sending a Marco Polo or voice memo to a friend when my kids are on the playground or riding their bikes. As an extroverted mama, it fills me up and helps me feel connected to the outside world.

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The bottom line is, filling your cup doesn’t have to look like spa days and no kids around.

Self care for stay at home moms can happen right in your house. Learn the ways that you can recharge in your house and with your kids right alongside you, and you’ll be far less likely to burn out or feel so overwhelmed by having your kids with you 24/7.