The realities of being a stay at home mum
Parenting

The realities of being a stay at home Mum

When I went on maternity leave I knew that I would return to work, and this time last year I was just about to go back. How things have changed in 12 short months. Being a stay at home mum was something I had never considered until I realised what I wanted to do. However you could hardly call me a stay at home mum as my daughter goes to nursery for 2 days a week, but for 3 days a week I am a stay at home mum. Don’t hate me. The transition from working mum to stay at home mum is still being worked through, with both myself and my daughter getting used to new routines, and getting used to seeing each other a lot more. Now that I have this extra time on my hands, here are eight realities of being a stay at home mum.

There is food everywhere

My daughter is at an age where food is a toy. Every single meal time she has a few bites to eat, and then the rest of the meal is flung around the room or smothered over her face. I’ve lost count of the number of bowls of Rice Krispies that are turned upside down, or blobs of Weetabix that I find stuck to the window or the skirting board.

Play time needs planning

This might sound silly and selfish to say, but planning playtime and what to do in the day is hard work. I need to become one of those Pinterest mum’s who has a board for messy play and things to do, so that I’m not struggling for ideas at the start of each day.

The house is more of a mess

This is one of my biggest bug bears. Now that we are in the house a lot more, it obviously gets a lot more messy and untidy. I feel like I am constantly tidying away, wiping surfaces, doing the dishes, unloading the dishwasher and picking things off the floor.

Meal planning is always on my mind

When our daughter was in nursery for 4 days a week, I used to really only plan meals for her for the weekend and Monday when she was at home. Now I need to really get better at cooking during the week, and making sure she has some variety on the days that we are at home.

I am constantly under attack

Or being mauled as I am currently referring to it. My daughter seems to love climbing on me, throwing herself at me, poking me in the face and biting too. This week I’ve been bitten at least three times. Ouch! Is that a sign of affection? 

There are days when I long for bedtime

I don’t mean this in a bad way at all, and I’m sure that most parents will agree with me especially on the bad days. When 4pm comes round, sometimes I find myself counting down the hours until the end of In The Night Garden when the bedtime routine can begin. Does anyone else find this, please tell me I’m not the only one.

I am more on top of the washing than ever before

This is a positive point, and even though I feel like I’m constantly washing and putting away clothes, I now have time to do the washing. I’m no longer trying to do 5 loads at the weekend with my house ending up looking like a Chinese laundry with damp washing hanging everywhere.

There is so much love for Mummy

And most importantly there is so much love for Mummy. It’s clear that our daughter loves spending so much more time with me, so much so that she’s become a bit clingy and loves hanging off my legs. I’ve noticed that the nursery drop offs are so much harder now, it’s very much like the first few weeks in nursery again.

But seriously it is great being a stay at home Mum, it’s hard work, but I love it. It doesn’t matter what we do, whether we work, stay at home, or work part time. The reality of looking after children is that it is hard work, and very rewarding, even when there are Rice Krispies everywhere. I’ve seen all sides of the fence from working full-time, to working part-time, and now being a stay at home Mum with effectively a part-time job on my hands with the blog and Digital Mums. But right now I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Claire x

3 Comments

  • Catherine

    It must be hard getting used to a new routine but it sounds like you are all doing great. Don’t worry the counting down to bedtime isn’t just you! Not always but it defintly happens! I’m at home 2 days a week with Amelia and it’s so lovely but sometimes hard work too.

  • Susie at This Is Me Now

    I find planning playtime one of the hardest things! If we have a class and are home by 11am I feel at a loss at what to do for the next 7 hours till Daddy gets home!! It’s hard. Play dates, trips to the shop and park are the things that keep me sort of sane!

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