Making Good Use of Your Time as a Stay-at-Home Parent
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Having children can be a beautiful experience. It is one way that we can pass on the legacy of the family to the next generation. It is also a task that is filled with ups and downs, but every parent would argue that it is all worth it.
Choosing to be a stay-at-home parent can be a difficult one. It means dedicating a lot of time to raising your children and potentially sacrificing income as a result. Additionally, since much of your time is spent around kids, you can miss out on some of the social connections you used to have with other adults.
Another aspect of being a stay-at-home parent is time. Once your kids are all in school, large chunks of the day are spent alone. There are plenty of things that you can do with that time as a stay-at-home parent.
Learn DIY Skills
Having a home means being responsible for a property that can have many things go wrong. Many electrical, plumbing, and mechanical components in the home must be maintained or repaired when they become dysfunctional. If you have some time during the day while the kids are gone, learning DIY skills is a financial investment that can help you save.
The more skills you learn, the easier it will be to handle issues in your home that would otherwise require expensive labor to handle. Also, DIY skills can be put to use with upgrades or other projects that you can do for fun, such as building a box garden or putting in new cabinets.
Find a Part-Time Remote Gig
Maybe you gave up a promising career to be home with your children and the family’s income took a hit as a result. Now that the kids are in school, you have a little more time on your hands to bring in some more money. Plenty of services can be performed remotely from your home with a laptop and strong Wi-Fi connection.
You could be a freelance writer, a data entry specialist, a remote personal assistant, or a digital marketer. With an extra 10-15 hours of working each week, you can supplement the income of a working spouse or partner to help save for your long-term plans.
Prioritize Exercise
Taking care of children can be tiring. Anyone who says otherwise is not a parent. While the kids are gone, there are probably household tasks to get done, and by the time you finish them, it may be tempting to just take a rest. You should certainly do that, but you also need to remember the importance of exercise. Make time for regular workouts throughout the week.
You can go for a jog, invest in some exercise equipment for a home gym, do Yoga in the backyard, or head out to play an organized sport. If you need a little bit of an energy support before your workout, a fizzy energy drink with naturally sourced caffeine could support both your physical and mental energy in preparation for physical activity.
Engage in a Hobby
As mentioned before, you need to rest during the day whenever you can as a stay-at-home parent. Though a nap can be incredibly helpful, or simply laying there to watch a TV show or movie, engaging in a hobby can be more stimulating. First, it engages your mind to promote brain health. Second, it can boost your mood when you accomplish a task.
Third, it can improve your mental health overall. Hobbies are wonderful because they are enjoyable, and doing something you love can be just as restorative, if not more so, than taking an afternoon nap. Whether it’s knitting, gardening, woodworking, bird-watching, or leisure reading, make time for your hobbies as a stay-at-home parent.
De-Cluttering
Cleaning is one of those household chores that is repetitive and exhausting. Between dishes, laundry, dusting, vacuuming, and everything else, it feels like these things have to get done constantly. One task that can lower the amount of work you have to do, and also reduce stress, is decluttering the house.
Clutter makes everything feel very busy and cramped. Maybe it is too many toys out on the floor from the kids, or school supplies and junk mail overflowing the tables or counters. When you clear these things away or find convenient places to store them, and you get the rest of the family to buy into this idea, then other cleaning tasks become a little easier.
Remember the Importance of Self-Care
A stay-at-home parenting gig is like a full-time job but with overtime and without pay. It is an admirable choice to be home with your kids as much as possible, but it does not come without sacrifices. That is why the time you do get to yourself should be used well, and while there is plenty to get done, don’t forget to take care of yourself as well.
