Ever wondered what stay-at-home-moms do all day? Let me tell you it’s a never ending, exhausting, freedom-feeling, rewarding job! Sometimes it feels like that old visual of a man rolling a boulder up a mountain and when he gets to the top he finds another mountain and he has to commence rolling again. Other times it is sunshine and blissful hours of hugs and kisses and laughing because your kid is really fun to hang out with! Even though I’m still in a relatively easy season of motherhood – having only 1 – I still have my hands full with all of Luke’s needs and keeping the house in a way that kinda sorta resembles order.

***
So, here goes a rough schedule of a typical summer day:

6:45am – 7:30am: Luke walks in my room to wake me up and announces that the sun is up and the car wash is open so we can’t be sleeping anymore. Toddler logic!

8am:  Breakfast – usually just for Luke. I grab a banana because I don’t like to eat much before I workout. I get dressed and do hair/makeup while he eats. After he finishes I get him ready and grab the necessary snacks/toys/accessories for the day.

9:30am – 11am: Mama’s Workout – Luke is in the stroller for the entire hour. He’s gotten really good at watching his surroundings and cheering me on. He also usually has his cousins there too so he chats with them. I’ve told him since he was around 1 and a half (when I started working out with him and the stroller) that he has to “watch then play,” which means he watches the mommies first and then gets to play on the playground.

10:30am – 1pm: This time is usually when we do fun activities or errands – park, library, target, grocery shopping, swimming with friends, splash pad. If it’s an especially busy day like swimming at a friends or going to the zoo I skip my workout so we have more time. Also, lunch is somewhere in the mix. I’d say about half the time we eat out and the other half we eat at home.

1/1:30pm – 3/4pm: Nap!! Woo hoo! If he isn’t tired and doesn’t want to nap, he has to play quietly in his room during this time – which 100% of the time he ends up falling asleep! I use these few hours to do chores, pick up the house, RELAX mostly, blog, work on a few different side jobs, or watch TV. I need these few hours just as much as he does – we are both better people afterwards! LOL

4pm – 5:30pm: Since this is after nap time, Luke usually wakes up groggy and will watch some TV as he wakes up. If he doesn’t watch TV then he plays in the backyard with our dogs, paints/colors, or plays with his toys in the living room. I usually join him with the toys or in the backyard for a bit and then I start getting dinner ready. I also use this time to do a quick clean up before Brandon gets home! I know I’m not the only mama straightening up in the 30 minutes before hubby is due home. I feel so much better when he comes home to a house that doesn’t look like a bomb went off majority of the time – and I’m sure he does too! To be honest, I’m usually saying OH CRAP and running the washing machine again because I forgot to switch the load and trying to get the dishes washed and out of the sink!

5:30pm: Daddy’s home and I’m off duty! We have a pretty typical evening routine if we don’t have plans – dinner together, a walk/playtime/go to the park/watch a movie, and then to bed for little man!

All of this is 100% flexible except for nap time – I’d say we are on time for nap 4 out of 5 work days!

***

Here are some ideas of different activities we did between the hours of breakfast and nap time last week:

Monday

Workout + Play with toys in the playhouse while I did some work

Tuesday

Workout + Gymnastics class

Wednesday

Library for playtime and story time; also checked out 5 books

Thursday

Workout + Swimming with cousins

Friday

Music class + Ran errands like shopping at Target, groceries, car wash…

Are you a SAHM and find yourself feeling stuck at home? At the bottom I’m going to list a bunch of activities Luke and I do – OR – we do with FRIENDS! The best advice I can give to mamas, who are feeling lonely because they stay home with their baby all day, is to find your tribe! There is a whole network of women who are in a similar position and want to do mommy play dates. Even if it is just 1 woman you went to high school with who you know stays home, contact her and set up some fun outings! Keep busy with free activities and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to strangers. My sister and I made a new mommy friend at the library a few weeks back just by talking and inviting her to hang out with us! I know what it’s like to yearn for adult interaction – so don’t sit by and wish for it – go find it! Another thing we do is go visit people on their lunch breaks. We will eat lunch with Brandon, a friend, a sibling, or my parents/in-laws! Everyone loves to see your little one at lunch too!

***

Out to lunch before we went to a local chocolate factory for a tour and tasting! We met my mom on one of her days off!

So, all in all I love to keep the days busy, and usually out of the house, so Luke doesn’t get bored and start destroying stuff as 2 year olds do. Oftentimes, I get too busy and have to schedule in days to stay home so I can take care of household chores that get backed up. One time, Brandon asked me to please do some laundry so he had clothes to wear to work. LOL He is great at sharing the household chores with me but in this particular instance it had been about a week and a half since I had touched the laundry. Oops!

Quitting my job 2 and a half years ago and staying home was the best decision Brandon and I have ever made. I love watching every little milestone, being there for every funny and awesome thing Luke does, TEACHING and caring for him so that he is confident and well mannered, and not having to stare out the window of a cubicle wishing I was outside. It’s not always easy – and many times I have to catch myself from being on my phone too much – but it is the most rewarding job I’ve ever had. (Remind me to read this when we have another baby and I feel like I’m drowning – I know having 1 makes it easier!)

There you have it! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments. I will try to post about how we were able to afford for me to quit my full time job to be home. I have a couple of friends who just did it too, and I’m so excited for them!

–Amy

Activities List:

• Stroller Strides – this is the ultimate mama tribe – look up classes in your area!!!
• Activities like gymnastics class, swim class, music class (We love Music Together)
• Check your city’s even page for free stuff
• Color Me Mine painting studios
• Build A Bear / Lego store
• Library – free and fun! Plus there are a bunch of other moms there with their kids!
• Zoo/Aquarium – invite a friend and make a day of it.
• Movie Pass at your local theater – we actually just signed up for one of these.
• Meet a friend or loved one during their lunch break
• Take your little one in to meet coworkers of your significant other/friend/ in laws
• Local farm/ petting zoo
• Join the gym and get free daycare for an hour or two
• Park/Splash pad – tons of other kids for them to play with
• Shopping at Target – kids are confined and mama has fun! Take them to browse the toy aisle as a treat (not buying a toy just browsing)
• Swimming at the local city pools
• Join a mommy group on FB and invite other moms out for playdates
• Bible Study
• Day at the mall with a girlfriend who doesn’t work a 9-5
• Grocery shopping with another mom friend