How to transition from working mom to stay-at-home mom?

Staying home wasn’t in the plan. But now, you have decided to leave your job and become a stay-at-home mom. What can you do to avoid getting overwhelmed as you shift yourself around it? Whether you are coming from a career that you’ve worked hard for, you are just shy of completing a short maternity leave from work and decided to stay home. You’re on the right post. 

Welcome to your ocean!

You must be wondering how I am going to do this. If you were working before, then you know the struggles of juggling both work life and family. You must be feeling ran down and exhausted to the core going back and forth.

Now it feels like a challenge has come knocking at your front door. It could be a resemblance of a work folder handed right straight at your desk with force, or it could be a new ER admission first thing on your 12-hr shift.

You are not prepared to swim across.

To make this transition go smoothly for you to begin with. So let’s dive into it.

As you become a stay-at-home mom, here are six things you can do.

1.     Re-affirm your decision with yourself and your spouse.

Leaving a job that you are thriving well that you’ve had for a long time is not a walk in the park. I am assuming that you and your spouse had talked about this extensively ahead of time.

Are you both on the same page? Besides, this decision is not taken lightly. This decision is a life-changing choice for you and your family.

Multiple times, you asked why I am choosing to stay home. Maybe you are second-guessing yourself. It is good to re-affirm your why. Ultimately, the reasons have to come from you and not anyone else’s.

Why is that important? You are the one leaving your job and going to be the one staying home. You are the main lead on this ocean. Of course, with your spouse’s support as well.

Be it because of personal explanations of sending your child/children to daycare or the huge money constraints that go with it. It could be you are a mom who wants to spend time with a newborn or be there for your growing children. Finally, it could be due to this Covid pandemic that made you leave your job to stay home with the family.

Whatever the case, stand by your WHY and make peace with it. The heavy burden will follow you around if you don’t acknowledge it. Trust me! I’ve been there myself, and I’m sure many others too.

Do what YOU think is best for you and the rest of your family.

You don’t need to explain to anyone else why you chose this path now. Your immediate family is the only one directly affected by this decision, and it stays within the circle.

Sometimes, we forget that our children can see/hear/know what is going on in the household more than we think they can. If they are of an age where they can understand in simple terms – why Mommy is not going to work anymore, they would want to know.

For one, they might push it aside or ask more about it. And two, the children are going to be thrilled to have you around 24/7. So that will be another article to talk about later on.

2.     Revise your budget.

Now, the household runs in a one-income family. This is the time to revamp your finances and adjust your budget accordingly to your family’s needs.

This is the time to sit down and have the financial spreadsheets wide open. You or your spouse is the one handling the family’s finances, and the other is there for support. Do this together so both can assess where to distribute the resources accordingly.

Make a list of what you NEED and ESSENTIAL for your family. The lists are personal – the things that you prioritize as MUST haves. Groceries, house mortgage, car payments, health insurances, power/water bills, taxes, savings, and whatever you deemed essential to you.

Your list is may be different from mine. So, take a closer look at what is necessary for your family to be living sustainably. Then you can scan the things you/your family WANT to spend on. We all need something to relax or get entertained by at the end of the day.

You do not want to be swimming and not have the proper gear to survive in the vast ocean.

So, budget checked!

3.     Adjust into your new role. As a stay-at-home mom modify your expectations.

You have been balancing your work life and family already in the past. But, now, taking a big step to be home with your children comes with expectations.

Now let’s see if your expectations are set course for the shore.

• Having all the time in the world to do stuff and take care of your family
• More relaxing days since you are home all the time
• Less stress as you are not working anymore and so on

Maybe you are right, and sure those are achievable expectations.

However, let’s be honest.

There’s a lot more than what’s on the surface of this stay-at-home ocean.

Yes, you need to know how to swim primarily. But, importantly, learning how to swim efficiently will be favorable as your energy won’t burn out that quickly, and you’ll be able to reach the shore safely.

The demands of your energy are going to be high and continuous as you navigate your role. Your children depend on you every single day. The people and things around the house will be calling out your name. So you need a solid plan and an efficient strategy.

4.     Make schedules and lists for guidance.

Here comes the planning part. Schedules and to-do lists can do wonders as you go through the day. It anchors how your day will go steadily.

Flexibility is the key to a less stressful day as a stay-at-home mom. You can have a planned day, but you need to adjust as the need arises.

Here are some examples:

• Mark 3 High Priority Tasks (errands, chores, etc.)
• Flextime blocked for (bonding, quiet time, tantrums erupting, etc.)
• Meals prepping and dragging meal times (so familiar with these)
• Play and outdoor time
• Schoolwork/homeschooling or Appointments

You can also download a free sample of Mom’s Checklist.

5.     Take time for yourself as a stay-at-home mom.

Given that you have taken care of everybody at home. Now is the time for YOU.

Mama, you need it, and you deserve it. But, of course, easier said than done, right?

How? By carving even a short 5 minutes to coveted 20 minutes all to yourself is impossible! With all hands and cries calling for your ultimate attention, it’s just not promising.

Wait, it can be possible. You can put it as a priority, why you need YOU time. Devoting time to yourself can recharge you significantly. You can give more when your cup is full.

Therefore creating a time block solely for you is another way to boost your energy. Do it to calm yourself internally so that way you are ready to tackle the day. YOU are important.

Self-care is essential, especially knowing you’ll be spending the majority of your time tending to everyone. Not only can you do it early in the morning, but also any time there is a quick pause in your day.

6.     Continue to stay updated with your profession and keep the bridge open.

Now, wait a minute! Why is this even here? I am here because I want to be a stay-at-home mom. I want to transition smoothly into it. That is my goal.

Hear me out, Mama.

Your decision to become a stay-at-home mom may be only temporary for the time being. Maybe it is a pause from your career to raise beautiful children. Or you are caring for a sick child or an ailing parent. The circumstances are unique to each of us and ever-changing.

When your children go to school, you may be looking at getting a prn job or a part-time hustle on the side. Or even the option of working from home comes to mind, especially with the Covid pandemic hovering longer than anticipated.

In this situation, do keep up with the updates on your profession. Read articles, take professional-based education online, anything that relates to your job to enrich yourself with knowledge and important trends. Keep your licenses and certificates active.

It’s like putting on a life jacket for yourself. It’s there when you need it to stay afloat when swimming for long periods. These efforts can save you during those work gaps.

Stay in touch with your friends at work and colleagues. Don’t leave all behind just because you hanged your stethoscope up, closed your work computer, or packed all your teaching supplies.

These work relationships and knowledge searching are essential to bridge the gap when you are ready to go back to work someday. Besides, you can still stay connected with them as friends and as your mentors. Anyhow, it is good to leave the job on a good note.

In sum, all these will facilitate making your transition as smooth as possible.

• Stick to your why.
• Visit the family’s budget.
• Ease in your new role.
• Create a flexible daily list.
• YOU time.
• Stay current and keep connections.

Remember to stay true to what your why is, what your goals are, and how you’re going to accomplish them. Also, I am hoping that these words can resonate with you in whatever stage you’re in.

Finally, being in this unfamiliar ocean, having a concrete plan, swimming efficiently, using all the proper gear, and wearing your life jacket; will not be a tedious trip to face. As you dig your toes in the sand, look back and reflect on it.

What went through your mind when you decided to become a stay-at-home mom? If you are still weighing in if you will leap, what’s keeping you from it? If you are already there, what definitely helped you transition into this new role?

Have you decided to become a stay-at-home mom? Comment below to share your thoughts. Share this post.