Children Benefit From Mom’s Choice To Stay Home!

Some mothers may see the constant load of laundry coming from the dryer as just another everyday chore. A task that gets hard and harder, especially when balancing the needs of a screaming 10-month-old baby, a 7-year-old and a list of household chores beginning with a sink filled with dishes to wash, dinner to make and floors to clean. As if that were not enough, you have a husband who is ready to eat when he steps through the front door. But don’t let your mind play tricks on you. It is easy to feel overwhelmed unless tasks are broken down into manageable chucks and sometimes tasks are delegated. Try to fix child-friendly recipes and let the 7-seven-year-old help in the kitchen. Have your husband aid in clearing the dining room table.

Delegation Is Key To Success For Stay-At-Home Moms!

This will help you be able to accomplish tasks more quickly and let your child learn how to be responsible. Delegate some tasks. There is no reason why your husband cannot help change a diaper, help with your child’s homework assignment, take the baby awhile so you can have a few minutes of quiet or offer to help with the baby. Plus, delegation can have extra benefits. It can help strengthen a marriage. If your spouse comes home, eats dinner and plots down in the recliner to watch television and leaves you with dishes to wash, a son who needs help completing his homework assignment and a baby who needs feed every few hours, you are quickly going to succumb to exhaustion, be overwhelmed, depressed and constantly feel like a maid instead of a wife and stay-at-mother. Tasks must be split up so that one spouse isn’t doing 96 percent of the workload.

What Tasks Can Be Delegated?

Here are lists of tasks that may be delegated. Others can be added. Use imagination. This will help one discover what works for them, so they can restore order to their sometimes chaotic schedule.

• Washing the dishes
• Walking the dog (if you have a pet)
• Caring for the baby (even if it is for short intervals at a time a spouse can assist in this task or even a friend who doesn’t mind lending a helping hand)
• Making dinner
• Doing the grocery shopping
• Picking up around the house/dusting
• Vacuum the floors
• Sort and/or fold laundry
• Change the bed sheets
• Take out the garbage

You Can Make It Work!

Be realistic. There may be some items that you may not be able to afford on one salary. They may require your spouse to save up money longer. Are there still wrinkles in the freshly made bed? Does it matter? Be sure to delegate tasks. If delegating some tasks are not possible and you are feeling overwhelmed, ask for support. If your spouse isn’t willing to help in the tasks you need delegated, see if there are other friends or people around who can support you and help with certain tasks. If you are still feeling overwhelmed, confide in a friend you can trust or talk to a counselor. A counselor may be able to offer suggestions to help make everyday tasks less overwhelming, help deal with depression or loneliness and the task of staying home with children more enjoyable and rewarding.

Banish Those Regrets, Please!

Every few mothers would ever say “I wished I worked more when my children were little!” There may be days, yes, but very few mothers would trade getting to see their child’s smile every day, their first steps, or hearing their first word spoken – just to work outside the home. Don’t regret your decision to stay home. That time with your children cannot be replaced once it is gone. And, mothers with full-time jobs often see their children less than their daycare provider. In a 2003 study conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and another by the Institute of Child Development of the University of Minnesota, researchers found that children who spent all day in a daycare center were likely to be exposed to more stress and more aggression than children being cared for at home. This is because stay-at-home moms have the opportunity to supervise their child’s care in a nurturing relaxed environment.

Don’t Apologize, Mother!

Being a mother is a job. Don’t apologize for not having a business title, such as Customer Service Manager or Product Development System Researcher or Industrial Engineer. Being a mother is a job title and it is yours! Moms can benefit from avoiding the stress of having an unsatisfactory job. Plus, they get to spend time with their children and help shape their development and see the “firsts” that happen in their child’s life.

Make Time for Fun!

Sometimes mothers who spend hours each day with children can miss out on having adult interaction. In order to not feel overwhelmed or swamped by responsibilities at home, take time and make time for fun. Plan a night out once a month with your spouse. This will give you something fun to look forward to each month. If this keeps both partners from feeling like they have nothing in common, do it. This is to keep both spouses from feeling as though they hardly talk. It will also give stay-at-home moms an opportunity to have some adult interaction. This will ensure tasks keep running smoothly in a stay-at-home mom’s household and both spouses can enjoy a healthy balance between “mommy needs” and wifely wishes. If this requires a babysitter for a night, hire one. Don’t apologize for wanting to spend an evening alone and out with your sweetheart!

Your Family Will Benefit!

Children benefit from Mom’s decision to stay at home. Delegating tasks is crucial for stay-at-home moms to be successful. Make a list of what tasks can be delegated and be sure to delegate those tasks to others. Don’t ever regret your decision to become a stay-at-home mom and don’t apologize to others because you are “just” a stay-at-home mom and not a manager or CEO in the “real” world. Schedule some time in your day to do fun activities for yourself, your children and your spouse so that no one in the family is overwhelmed or stressed by all the tasks that simply need to be completed. Make time for fun! Realize the whole family can take advantage of Mom staying home!

About the Author:  Angela Lytle is a self-employed mother of four and publisher of Swim Team Mom, a website for swim parents that features swim team gear with competitive swimsuits and quality brands like the speedo speedo fastskin swimsuit and much more for your swimmer’s needs.

The post Guest Post – Mothers Have The Advantage! appeared first on Home with the Kids Blog.