Top 5 Tips for Staying Sane as a SAHM

Being a stay-at-home mom is, in my opinion, the most challanging job on earth. Even the most demanding careers provide lunch breaks, and at the end of a work day, you go home and forget about it until morning. As a mother, you are only given breaks at your child/childrens' generosity. For moms of the under age 1 group and multiple kids, this can mean zero breaks. If your baby has a good nap schedule, you're blessed. Even with naps, however, you still can't ever leave your job. At 5:00 when others head home from work and forget the stress of the day, SAHMs are hard at work trying to get at least some of dinner into the mouths of their kids and off of the floor and walls. Even the best moms need breaks. It's a tough job no matter what you do, but here are 5 tips to help cope with the craziness:

1. Get out of the house. If it's one 4 month old, or 4 under 5 year olds, round them up and get going. It might be a trip to the zoo, the park, or even just to Target. Regardless of the destination, it's important to get a change of scenery. Even the largest homes start to close in on you when they're filled with a screaming baby or energetic children.
2. Utilize naptimes to recharge. Don't use naps to do housework. Housework can typically be accomplished while the kids are playing, even if it means toting the crying littlest one on your hip while switching the laundry over. You want to take advantage of the time when your kids don't need your attention. Sit on the couch and relax. Watch tv. Take a nap yourself. Read a book. Surf the internet. Do something that you want to do.
3. Let the housework go when necessary. If you feel like you're falling apart at the seams and unable to enjoy your life, quit fretting and go play with the kids. Sometimes, you need to just have fun. For me, Friday is my 'forget responsibilities and play all day with the baby' day. I let the used bottles build up on the counter, dishes in the sink. I take my son to the playground at least once, sit on the floor all day and just enjoy being his mommy. This does mean his dad has a lot of housework when he comes home, but he typically doesn't mind. By Friday, I'm usually at the end of my rope and he knows that I deserve a play day. I can't ever take a break from motherhood, but I can take a break from housewifery, and so should you.
4. Make use of free babysitting. I haven't had family close enough to babysit for me, but we're moving back to family soon, and I intend to take full advantage of family babysitters. If you're having a rough day, and the kids are driving you up the walls, just pack them up and ship them to grandma's. Go do some shoe shopping, get your hair done, do something for you. You'll return to your kids with much more patience, and will be a better mother for it.
5. Don't sweat the little stuff. Kids whine. Even my 9 month old has taken to whining for no reason. He doesn't want to eat, doesn't want to play, doesn't need a nap; but he stands there looking at me and blubbering. The noise does grate on my nerves, as it does most moms. You can either scoop him/her up and usher them to a different toy which will probably distract them enough to be happy for the time being, or ignore it. Chances are, they will find something else with which to entertain themselves, or the whining will escalate, and you'll know that they actually need something.