Is Being A Stay At Home Mom, Stressfull To You?

I go through the same thing too! For awhile the mess bothered me, but not so much anymore. I spend two to three days weekly getting everything in order and putting things away and then do light maintenance work daily to keep up the appearance of things. Checklists help keep me organized so I know what to do next. And, I only do things once a day no matter how many times something gets messed up. It is not so hard when you find an organizational system you like. For instance, when my daughter was two years old, I had to put away most of her stuffed toys because she kept throwing them on the floor. I wasn't being mean. But she has hundreds of stuffed toys and they get dirty and she would throw them all onto the floor was a constant daily thing. Then she would get five toys at one time, that she could play with and no more. And, if she wanted more,then she was allowed one or two more,but had to put one thing back. Now that she is older, she doesn't dump out her toys onto the floor anymore and if she does, she picks them up when I ask. If your kids are old enough they can help you out around the house. I don't even bother asking my spouse to help. He takes out the trash and cleans the litter box and works, so that is enough for me! LOL! Seriously, though, I would prefer cleaning to be done my way and not his. I have to tell him to get out of my kitchen and not micro-manage my cleaning or else he wants to dictate how things should be done. That drives me nuts! You might try using paper plates and then throwing them away. Or, using a dishwasher instead of hand washing dishes. I do lots of hand washing, cause we don't have a dish washer. It's worth the money to buy a dishwasher and washing machine/dryer. Otherwise use paper or plastic plates. And use the local laundry if you don't have a machine. The work is too back breaking otherwise. As for other things, like household clutter, just put up the items that are most likely to be strewn around. If the same papers and magazines are always laid out and make a mess, then put them in the closet or hide in a box under the bed. Most times, these little things can be easily lived without. And if they are not in sight, then things look less "lived in" and less messy. That is what I do for my own house! I am sure you will do fine and find your own system! Best of luck. Be well.

Every mother symphatizes with you. I am a mother of 5 children. A single mother. Coming up with a system will depend on a few things. How many children do you have? What are the ages? Maybe I can help. My children are from ages 17 to 1.

currently i am a stay at home mom because i cannot work due to health issues and what i worry most about it the money that we need to pay bills. my kids are older so they can help. when they were little, i didnt find being a sahm stressful that much.

How old are your kids?.. are they grade school age?.. and after school do they go out to play?. what i would do if they are. is give them each their chores for the week. Not hard ones but mabey some little ones that will take some load off your shoulders,mabey it will ease up that migrane. somthings you could give them as chores is. clean the babthroom they use. or come to the living room. make sure stuff is nice and neet and vaccume. or even just pick up their rooms. or crush the pop cans whatever. somthing that is small but still somthing you have to clean everyday. Now if your kids ARE NOT school aged and are at home with you all day. main thing.. no toys in the living room. thats why you have a bedroom:P. to store them and play with them. that way your not running all over the house trying to collect toys. before they can leave their room to go do somthing else. check to see if there toys are put up. and if its dinner time and there called to thr table then make sure toys are picked up before bed. its so much easier to clean when the kids are sleeping so you dont have run around worried about tripping over them or them taking toys out behind you.. and to make you cleaning job easier and more funner.. give your kids a rag wet it and let them go.. show them how to wipe things down:P turn on some fum music and dance wit h them im sure they will ove that and im sure you will ove iot to to see thoes smiles on their face.

I found the easiest way to keep the house tidy was to be out of the house the majority of the time and get back in in time to do dinner. I would always bath the children at night and put into night clothes read a book and then to bed that way they wake up clean and only need a fash wash and teeth brush after breakfast in the morning. I would put a load of washing on and then off out to be back by lunchtime, take load out and hang and then back out possibly to a mothers and toddler group where they have all the toys in the world to play with and the ones at home would stay put away. I am a working mum now but when at home needed to get out and meet others or else I would get stressed and lonely as it is a never ending cycle. We went out and fed the ducks, to the park, toddler groups. Somedays I would just stay at home and the toys would be everywhere but I didn't mind as long as they were picked up and put away for teatime then the bath bed routine. Ellie :D

Not really when sometimes, too much work cant handle with any body pains..stress is more. Rest of that with kids its always a stress free.

Yes, being a stay at home parent can be stressful. If you read half of my discussions relating to parenting and/or stress, you would know what I mean. I suffer from depression, work part time, raise my kids, run a homeschool co-op, and manage all of these affairs whilst attending college. My plate is beyond full, it is overflowing. But when the stress seems to build up I step back. A long time agao I heard a phrase that hass tuck with me. Stress is only as dibilitating as you allow it to be. MAke a consciious decision to manage your tasks so as to not allow your tasks to manage you. Who cares if your kids get a little dirty ten minutes after they get out of the bath? You know they were clean ten minutes ago...they are not neglected...they are happy and healthy. Who cares if there's twenty five toys on the floor? You know they were all cleaned up a half an hour ago. Your kids are exploring and learning and developing their personalities. Bottom line, a messy house is not the same as a dirty one, likewise a lived in house is not the same as a perfectly clean/organized/and tidy house. As long as your kids are happy, healthy and safe....the rest doesn't mean squat.

I'm a stay at home dad so I feel for you. I have a 5 and 8 year old. I try to keep a schedule that works for me, since we home school and thank goodness its summertime, I still have a list of things to do and I never leave one task undone. I also have help, it might not be what I want but I'm teaching them to honor rather than obey. Unless you're having a party every night, there is no reason to expect a spotless house. I had grappled with this notion until it dawned on me what an exahusting task that is. I make sure they are fed and don't run out of the house naked, other than that, do one thing at a time. Another secret I've found is shutting a door when its not being used, this negates the need to wander in an open room. Plus, I put numbers on the doors, I'll ask, do you want to play in room 1, 2, or 3. Make those the only rooms they go into, three rooms to clean is easier than a whole house. Hope that helps.