Someone who recently had their first baby asked me what I do all day as a stay at home mom to entertain my kids and keep my sanity. I’ve only been a full time stay at home mom for a few months, but I feel like I jumped into this role head on and have done it pretty well, so I decided to write a blog post about it!
I remember the first few months after having Reagan were SO difficult. I didn’t have many mom friends, Reagan was super colicky, and I was working long hours, not sleeping, and so mentally and physically exhausted. Add that we were living in Utah and it was winter time, so we rarely left the house. When we moved to San Antonio I decided that things were going to change, and within the first week of moving there I set out on a mission to make some friends.
Making friends is wayyy different than it used to be, and I actually met all of my mom friends on Facebook! It’s really easy to find mom groups in the city you’re in, and there are usually other women who are looking to make new friends as well! One of my favorite groups that is in pretty much every city in the country is Hike It Baby. This is an easy way to get outside and exercise and meet new moms while exploring your city.
Once I made some friends, it was much easier to find things to do during the day! We joined a music class, organized play groups and lunch dates, and we all had a reason to get out and a friend to do it with!
Lots of these activities are just easier when you have someone counting on you, but here is my list of ideas of things to do for stay at home moms!
- Park play date
- Picnic lunch
- Go to the zoo
- Purchase a membership to a children’s museum
- Visit a trampoline park or indoor playground
- Go on a nature walk, pick flowers and collect “treasures”
- Scavenger hunt
- Find a street festival
- Story time at the library
- Go to a soda or ice cream shop
- Go to a splash pad or swimming pool
- During the holidays, go look at the lights or decorations in your neighborhood or mall
- Stay inside and craft or color (this book has TONS of crafting ideas for kids)
- Bake cookies
- Play dress up (my kids love dressing up in my clothes)
- Movie night with pizza and popcorn (bonus points for making your own pizzas!)
- Enroll in recreation center classes or music classes
- Play with play dough (check out my essential oil aroma dough here)
- Fill the sink with bubbles and go crazy
- Add glow sticks to the bath tub
- Go to Target and play with the toys
- Do a photoshoot, let your kids take turns as photographer
- Have a dance party
- Give each other makeovers
- Color the driveway with sidewalk chalk
The most important thing when you’re a stay at home mom is to GET OUT. I’m at my worst when I’m trying to entertain the kids after being inside for a few days straight. If the weather is bad, meet up at a friends house, go to the mall, or some other indoor playground with a change of scenery.
My husband is gone 12-15 hours a day, 7 days a week so I am the sole person responsible for making sure my kids are entertained while also raising them to be kind and trying to throw in some education. We have really good days and really bad days, and any changes I try to make usually take a few days to implement. I am really proud of how I’ve adapted to this new role, but I know 100% that my patience and ability to get through the long days is due to a loving Heavenly Father who hears my prayers for help. I’m really happy with where we are right now, and I hope that I can pass some hope and inspiration to those of you who feel like they are struggling!