Essential SAHM Boredom Beaters

*Collaborative Post

Before you had your baby, you may have thought it would be impossible to feel boredom when staying at home to look after them. After all, there’s so much to do and get used to, and they are such little miracles that will change and grow every day. However, stay at home mums (SAHMs) often do feel bored from time to time. Not because their babies or their role as a mother is boring per se but because they are used to working and interacting with adults all day. Happily, if boredom does begin to strike there are some smart things you can do to beat it. Read on to find out what they are.

A routine

I know, I know, for most us nothing sounds as boring as having a routine for each day. However, bear with me here because once you become a mum, it is actually something that can help you prevent the tedium from getting to you.

This is because if you know what you need to get done each day, you can also make time to schedule in trips out, meetups with friends, and even some time when your OH can take them, and you can be alone.

Of course, the advantage of scheduling these things in, is you know even when things aren’t the most lively, they will be again soon, and so you have something to look forward to and break the monotony.

However, remember that getting into a routine isn’t always the easiest thing to do when you have a small child. In fact, some mums find that it is best to let their baby set the general schedule of feeding and napping, and then work their other activities around that.

Mum and baby groups

A real lifesaver for any bored SAHMs can be the plentiful mother and baby groups that you will find running in your location. This is because not only do they allow you to spend some quality time with your baby, but also provide a great reason to get out of the house and interact with others in a similar situation.

Of course, it’s always best to choose mum and baby groups that you are most interested and will enjoy because you will get the most out of these. Therefore, if you love music, then a class where you and baby get to sing, and dance may be the best choice, while if you are looking for some ways to stay calm and centred mum and baby yoga is a smart option.

Playdates

Next, when it comes to beating boredom as a SAHM, a fantastic option is to book in playdates for your child with other parents and their kids. In fact, many mums often find that some of their best friendships are made this way because not only do the kids get to play together, but they end up chatting to the other parents and comparing experiences as well.

Play dates aren’t just good for the kids, but can help mum beat boredom too.

The key to a good playdate is finding a venue that is not only stimulating for the children but also has somewhere that the parents can supervise them while getting a hot drink and being able to chat. To that end, finding a pub with a play barn can work well, or you may even choose to host in your own home. Something that can feel a lot more relaxed and relieve the pressure if some of the little ones aren’t behaving perfectly. Which, as any mum knows they do tend to have a habit of doing from time to time!

Study time

For many SAHMs, the chance of pace from a high-level career to a mum can be a tough one to adapt to. It’s not that one is any more valuable than the other, but they are just inherently different. Of course, this can be compounded by the fact that many of us study and work hard for our careers, and suddenly being without this driving force can feel weird and even a little scary.

Happily, there are some smart solutions you can try, if you find yourself facing this issue. In particular, it can be very rewarding for SAHM to study a subject at a more advanced level. Especially if it relates to their career field, as this can not only provide mental stimulation but also improve their chances of progression and promotion if/when they choose to return to work.

Of course, the major issue with this is that SAHMs already have a full-time job, and that is catering for their child, something that leaves very little time left for attending a college or university. Luckily, there is an answer to this issue and its to take a course like this msc management distance learning from the comfort of their own home. Something that will allow them to work their lectures and project around their childcare responsibilities, yet still provide that mental challenge that they are craving.

Blogging

Another smart choice for SAHMs that are finding themselves getting bored is to get involved with the blogging scene. After all, it provides an excellent creative and emotional outlet, as well as connects them with others from all around the world that have similar interests.

Sadly, many mums don’t go down this route because they worry they will have nothing to blog about that others will find interesting. Of course, this is not actually the case because just their experience being a mother is one that millions of others can both relate to, and learn. In fact, mummy-blogs are one of the largest categories in the blogosphere, and as such can also be monetised to provide an additional income for the SAHM too.

Additionally, the best thing about blogging is that you can come up with a post or two when Baby is napping, or if you have a spare hour in the evenings. You also get to decide what and how much you publish, so if you are overwhelmed with tasks you can move things around to make them more manageable.

Volunteering

I can’t take credit for this one, in fact, it is what one of my friends did when she was SAHM, and she found it a very positive experience. I think this was because it gave her an excuse to get out of the house and to interact with adults in a non-mum related way. It was also for a charity that is very close to her heart, and that means she was dedicated some of her time to a meaningful cause outside of the home, something that can certainly help to beat any boredom that starts to creep in.

Of course, if you are looking to take on some volunteering work while being a SAHM, you will need to either arrange some childcare or schedule it around when you OH can have the baby.

You will also need to find something that you are passionate about, as well as somewhere that your talent can be put to good use. In fact, do remember that while many charities ask for people to help directly or to collect donations, others also want people to volunteer their time for marketing tasks like graphic design and even office work. After all, all charities have admin to do, and if you have some experience in this you may just be the perfect fit for them!

Freelancing  

OK, so technically if you start to freelance while staying at home with the kids, you will be a work at home mum (WAHM), rather than a stay at home one. However, this does not mean that freelancing from home isn’t a fantastic idea for mums that are getting a little fed up with their usual day to day routine.

In fact, freelancing from home has many benefits including an additional paycheck coming into the household, the flexibility of setting your own hours and projects, as well as the chance to keep your hand in with the career you had before baby came along.

Of course, there are downsides too, and one in partially that WAHMs need to be aware of is that it can be difficult when you have multiple demands on your time, something that can occur when you have a work deadline, but your child become ill and need extra care. To that end, it’s well worth being very organised with blocking your time for work and childcare to ensure that you don’t get into a situation where you are required to do both at once.

A Hobby

Lastly, another great boredom buster for SAHMs is to find a hobby that can help to break up the day. Of course, this can be tough because it not like you actually have a load of free time, because you are taking care of Baby.

To that end finding something that you can pick up and put down easily such as reading a novel, Zentangling, or even cross stitch can be a smart move. The reason being that you can grab a quick 10 mins of fun for yourself while Baby is playing or sleeping, but the entire activity isn’t ruined if they wake up or need your help unexpectedly. In fact, an interesting hobby that you can do in 10 minutes bursts could be just the boredom-busting solution you are looking for as a SAHM.

*This is a collaborative post. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.

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