We’re up to #3! Now that I have a full 4 years under my belt of being a stay-at-home mom, I wanted to put together 4 big things I’ve learned so far. My hope is that this encourages you in your motherhood journey!
(Catch up here on the first and second things I’ve learned!)
3. Year 3 has been the hardest – and it led me to a look at myself.
Whether in my HR career or now as a SAHM, I hit a wall around the year 3 mark. It’s happened over and over. I thought it was because of circumstances until it happened this time too.
The common denominator is me!
I hit some kind of rut around this point every time. The newness is gone – honeymoon period over. Things become more routine.
As much as I honestly love routines and schedules, this starts to backfire around year 3. The things I used to love doing become sources of overwhelm and stress.
Finding New Rhythms
Now that I’m aware of this, I’ve been working on it in a few ways. A lot of this is about finding a good rhythm that incorporates both sides of a topic. For example, a rhythm of doing outings AND having time at home. Cooking AND takeout. Here’s what that looks like for us right now:
We do fun outings every week or so. Something like the zoo, jump park, etc. We also have at least one day a week we’re entirely at home.
With cooking, I strategically plan for the week so I’m not going all-out for 3 meals in one single day. When I cook dinner, I do my best to make enough to have leftovers a few days later. We usually do takeout for dinner on Saturdays, which gives me more time for other things plus fewer dishes for my husband that night. And I accept that some dishes simply require more time than fits in this season of life.
Adding Simple Activities that Make Me More Healthy
Another element I’m trying to incorporate more in my rhythms is doing things I love to do! When the kids were newborns, I stopped doing a lot of things to really focus on that season. What’s been interesting to me is that I found myself staying in that mindset even as the kids have been getting a little older. I’m slowly realizing that we’re in a different season, and I’m able to reincorporate some activities back in.
So, I bake fun stuff more often – mostly chocolate! I take time regularly to do some things that help me become a healthier person – write, read, pray, take a quiet drive or walk to reflect. Express gratitude. I’ve started working out over the last few weeks. I finally went to the dentist for the first time in 5 years. All of this is a start, and I’m still experimenting with a lot of it. But it’s a start!
This One Is a Journey!
As you can tell, #3 has been a big category of learning. I’m continuing to work on these things, and there’s a lot I haven’t yet figured out yet. The good news is I’m in a better place right now than I was in the past when I’d hit this point in jobs or other places in life. Progress!
