I know what you’re thinking. What could possibly be romantic about doing the exact same things every day? How can you romanticize your life as a stay at home mom? When you’re constantly running on the hamster wheel and getting seemingly nowhere? All while cleaning messes and wiping bums and literally just trying to keep these wild children alive and nourished to our best ability?
Read on, dear mama.
I preach about routines and decluttering and how to be your best as a stay at home mom but really – this is the post that I hope will truly resonate with you and help you find contentment and joy in what you do day to day.
Romanticize: to think about or describe something as being better, more attractive or more interesting than it really is.
This role we hold in our family can be so exhausting and mentally taxing. Being a mom can sometimes feel so draining as you are literally always on and very seldom thanked for all that you do. Finding ways to incorporate a little romance into our everyday lives is something that I have found to be of utmost importance for my mental health and to be able to show up as the mom I want my kids to have and remember from their childhood.
What Does it Mean to Romanticize Your Life?
When you were considering this lifestyle, I bet you romanticized it a bit. ‘You mean, I get to stay home all day and make my own schedule and bake bread and do fun crafts and go to the library and playground every day and take a nap if I want to and read all the books I haven’t gotten to yet and have picnics in the backyard with the kids etc. etc. etc.‘ You get the point.
Whatever it was that had you hyped to be a stay at home mom – I’ll bet it was a very romanticized viewpoint. The reality of this lifestyle choice is probably a little different than that wonderful vision you once had. Now that you’ve been in the trenches for a bit and have a more realistic view from the other side, things are certainly not all rainbows and butterflies.
Well, I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. Why not actually live the romanticized version of your life? Why not bring your own rainbows and butterflies, so to speak?
I know what it’s like to feel stuck in the loop of the mundane day to day tasks. I also know how to make those tasks just a tiny bit more enjoyable. And that, my friend, is something to strive for each and every day.
1. Mother Nature – Get Outside!
Open your kitchen windows to let the fresh air in while you make breakfast. Sit in the sun (or find a shady spot if its hot out) and just close your eyes and listen to the world around you. Feel the breeze on your skin. Walk in the grass barefoot. Put your kids in the stroller (or put their walking shoes on and grab the snacks and make sure everyone has gone potty, and has their favorite toy and a teether for the baby, etc. etc.) and go for a walk. Make observations aloud and point things out to your kids to help them notice the little things too – a bird singing and wait to see if another responds or squirrels playing on a tree nearby. Are the flowers blooming where you are? Or are there berries hidden in the bushes?
My kids often stop to watch the ants work or a beetle scuttle across the ground. All kids have this natural curiosity and allowing them the time to observe these things is the very best way for them to learn, no matter their ages. Allow time to slow down a bit. Embrace the moment and encourage your children to explore the world around them!
Take the time to reconnect with nature via your senses and you will feel a positive change in your demeaner. Mother Nature is soothing to the soul. I try to incorporate some time outside every day, even if it’s only for a few minutes. It really does make such a difference!
2. Make A ‘Magic’ List
I know how hard it can be to come up with something fun the day of, or right on the spot when confronted with a grumpy or bored kiddo. Decision fatigue as a mom is a constant battle and at times like this, sometimes you’re just tapped and have no idea what to do or tell them.
This is where your handy dandy notebook comes into play! Ok, not really but – any Blues Clues fans here? Grab your phone or planner or whatever you use and have with you daily and keep a running list of fun, inexpensive ideas for things you can do with your kids. Better yet, keep a list of ideas for quick and easy ways to orchestrate some creative play for them that will allow you to do other tasks in the background – or simply rest while they entertain themselves!
A few ideas to get your list started:
- Eat a meal outside (weather pending) – easy peasy… y’all were going to eat breakfast anyway right? Take those plates to the patio or throw out a picnic blanket in the yard for a change of scenery and some fresh air.
- Grab an old quilt and some watercolor paints and paper. Heavy cardstock will work fine if you don’t have watercolor pages on hand. Take it outside and paint what you see – the sky and clouds, a butterfly on the flowers, the naked trees if you’re doing this in winter. Have fun with it and get involved too!
- Fairy Tale Day. Make some paper masks or grab their old Halloween costumes and spend some time reading fairy tales. As you read, have the kids reenact them!
- Have a tea party with your stuffed animals. If you don’t have a tea set – check your local thrift store or Facebook Marketplace for a cheap set.
- Build a fort! This could be inside or out. Use the couch cushions, cardboard boxes, or simply throw a large sheet over the kitchen table and toss some extra pillows under there. Voila!
- Bubbles – grab a few bubble wands from the dollar store to have on hand when your day is feeling heavy. These are always a hit with my toddler and even our 11 year old enjoys playing with them still.
This is just a short list to get you started. Having an arsenal of quick and easy to pull together ideas for those days when things have simply gone off the rails and you need to reel it back in will be a life saver. Trust me!
3. Replace Screens With Music
We have a rule in our house that screens are simply not an option until after 4PM. I’d be okay with never turning the tv on at all but by late afternoon I really just want to be able to prep dinner in peace, ya know? For the majority of the day, you’ll find some sort of background music playing in our home. I’ve found that having music on helps me focus or calm down when I need to take a breath. The kids love it when a more upbeat tune comes on and will have a mini dance party – feel free to join in on this! Even if you have two left feet like I do, your kids won’t care or notice and will adore seeing their mom having fun with them!
We listen to a good mix of genres in our house but my go-to’s to keep the mood relatively calm are country, classical, Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald playlists, etc. Whatever it is that speaks to you, let music play in the background of your days.
Consider investing in a Yoto Player!
We got our 3 year old a Yoto player for Christmas last year and she and our 1 year old both love it! There are so many cards to choose from (including “make your own” options) that they never really get bored with it. You can choose from music OR stories for the kids. There are some with short stories but they also have novels such as The Chronicles of Narnia or Harry Potter cards if you have older kids.
Some Yoto cards are educational as well – from learning your numbers and ABC’s to the kids’ guide to astrophysics (no, I’m not kidding!). Homeschool moms, this can be a great tool for you, too! I can see our Yoto coming into play for many years to come! We use ours quite a lot while I’m making breakfast or during quiet time. I also play the cards in the car sometimes through the Yoto app.
4. Take Time For Yourself
Wake up early if you have to. Utilize one of the ideas from the list you just made for the kids so you can step away for a second (if they’re a little older and in a safe environment). Incorporate a quiet time into your day if the kids are beyond napping age. Have your husband take them to the playground when he gets home so you can have some time to yourself. Whatever you need to do, find a way for you to get a little time to yourself each day. This will be invaluable to your mental health and is an absolute necessity. Do not compromise on this one. You and your spouse need to be on the same page here!
5. Keep Your Home Tidy
This is also an absolute necessity for your mental health! A clean home will encourage you to be more productive, boost your self esteem, provide a sense of calm and decrease your stress hormone. The benefits of having a tidy home cannot be understated!
I recommend having some sort of cleaning routine unique to your family and home; and one that is practical for you to accomplish. We will not be polishing the furniture every day – unless that’s your thing in which case, polish away dear mama. You can take a look at my post here for tips on keeping a clean home as a stay at home mom.
Decluttering will help you in this area as well! The less you have overall, the less cleaning and tidying and organizing you’ll be doing throughout the day. Every single item in your home will need to be managed in some way shape or form, so make sure whatever you have in your home is worth the time and peace it may be stealing from your day. This may take a little mindset shift but once you get there, you won’t ever go back.
Start Today
There are so many other ways I could mention but for the sake of not taking up all of your free time 😉 I’ll stop here for now! I would love to get back into this a little deeper in the future though so if you enjoyed the tips here for romanticizing your every day, please let me know! I truly believe that incorporating these 5 tips into your daily routine can make all the difference in the world and most require minimal effort on your part.
For More SAHM Tips:
The Art of Intentional Homemaking and Living Slowly
How to Create Your Own Feminine Capsule Wardrobe for Stay at Home Moms
How to set Goals as a Stay at Home Mom or Homemaker
Self-Care for Mothers | A Realistic Guide for Busy Moms
Also, don’t forget to check out my Motherhood Essentials Guide – it’s my master list of all things that will help you be the best mom you can be, no matter what season of motherhood you may be in. From newborns to teens, there is something there for you!
Until next time, friends!
Olivia
Love these tips as a stay at home mama myself!🥰