Making Motherhood

Today, I’m talking about how you, mama, keep things under control as a stay at home mom (SAHM). You have the blessing to stay at home with your kiddos, so make the most of it and get things under control with these four practical things you can start incorporating today.

1. Have a routine

This one may seem obvious, but it’s truly a needed priority to have in your day to day. Whether you’re a mom of littles (like myself), are homeschooling, or have some kids at home and some attending school—having a routine makes life easier because your children know what to expect. There are studies done that show children ‘do life’ better when there is a routine in place. Do I mean fill up their schedules with sports, music lessons, Bible studies, and play dates every single day of the week to create a routine? Of course not! Just simple routines you establish in your home. These are things that happen around the same time each day, such as: meals, nap times/quiet time, what activities happen during your morning block/afternoon block, and maybe one or two days of the week you tend to have a specific day where you leave the house for a scheduled activity. These are the routines that will help you keep things under control, mama! 

2. Have expectations

Once you have your routines in place, you need to establish expectations. For yourself and for your children. You can call these rules, guidelines, directions, a playbook, etc.—but I prefer the term expectations. When you have a clear set of expectations for how you plan to execute your week and even your day, then you are more prone to success. The same way we expect this from our kids. By giving them expectations before doing a task or going to an activity, you’ve laid the foundation. Give children your expectations. When they step out of line or don’t follow said expectation, then you teach them how you wanted them to complete the task. Imagine being told over and over again you’re doing something wrong, yet the teacher never shows you HOW to do it. Hello, mamas! That’s probably how your kids feel when you give an expectation but it’s not shown how to be completed. Walk them through the task at hand.  Be clear. Be concise. 

3. Be present and keep technology to a minimum

The third thing to help keep yourself under control in your home is to be present with your kiddos and keep technology to a minimum. That goes for you, mom! What child wants to remember their childhood time with their mom and dad always glued to their phones. Be disciplined in this area and keep your tech time in front of your kids to a minimum. I’d also suggest minimizing time with technology for your children, too. Behavior problems can stem from excessive screen time in children. Turning on shows all throughout the day when there’s 15 or 20 minutes there won’t facilitate a good routine or expectations for your kids. They will become reliant on that screen time each day. Instead, turn any screen time into reading time, puzzles, activity books, or quiet time with a learning toy (not tablet games). If you’re someone who keeps the television on as background noise, even if you think no one is watching it, I’d encourage you to take a week and turn off all of the noise. You’d be surprised at what children pick up from media by just having it on in the background. Reset your own mind with screen free blocks throughout the day, or even tech-free days! (Check out my post on no social media and thriving.) Tech-free days are something I plan to challenge myself in here soon. Let’s take back control of our homes and stop letting technology run the show. 

4. Be prayerful and in the Word of God

The last piece of advice I have for mamas to help keep things under control in their homes is to start praying more and get in the Word of God. This is something we all can work on. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:6-7 There is so much power in that scripture–and that’s just ONE verse!! Mamas, imagine spending actual time reading your bible throughout the day and week to meditate on the Word of God. Imagine the wisdom you will gain in your relationship with Him. Imagine the wisdom He will give you through His word. Imagine how you can apply that godly wisdom in your home, in your marriage, and in your parenting. Check out this post for how to saturate your home with Christ. Let’s start today, mamas! 

God bless and let’s keep encouraging one another through Christ! I hope this post will help you implement practical things in your day to day to get you back in control as a SAHM. Peace be with you, sisters! Until next time.