How to be a Stay-At-Mom.

This post is not meaning to be mean to working moms or stay-at-home-moms. This is just a post to poke fun of stay at home moms (I am one so don't get your panties in a wad) and I'm not saying just because you work or stay home that any of this applies to you. Lighten up. Take a joke.

-Be content. I am (usually) content to stay home. I am content to let Hazel run around naked and totally destroy the house. She is making memories and I'm okay with that. That's what I'm here for. To clean up after her. That's what all mothers do!

-Be flexible. There is ALWAYS something that is going to go wrong.

 For example: Hazel throughout her life has... dumped an ENTIRE new box of flour on the floor, spilled an ENTIRE crock pot of chicken noodle soup on the floor, pooped EVERYWHERE, drawn on the walls, carpet, and furniture with sharpies, taken all of the clothes out of her chest of drawers in her room, thrown COUNTLESS toys down the toilet, thrown my phone (and Jonathan's) phone in the toilet.

Before you say or think: "where were you all the times she was doing this??"... I was most of the time cleaning a different mess, going to the bathroom (by MYSELF... gasp!), folding or doing the laundry, doing the dishes. You see, my child doesn't make messes while I'm sitting on the sofa doing nothing. She ONLY makes messes when I actually am trying to clean up. Therefore, I no longer clean. ;)

-Don't get overwhelmed. This is something that I need to remember and do. I tend to get overwhelmed.  As I'm typing this there are about 100 things I need to do. Make a list. And take 1 room at a time.

-Be able to play games and have fun with your child. All too often, myself included, I get so wrapped up in other things, cleaning, blogging, dinner, working out, or whatever else I might have going on that I forget that Hazel is an only child. She has no one else to play with other than me (most of the time) and she is only 2. All she wants to do is play and make messes. My house will be clean when she goes to away to college. Right now its a wreck.

-Don't stress about if your child is watching too much tv, eating the right food, having enough child play time, doing enough crafts or coloring. I read an article recently that too many people put their ENTIRE focus on their children. Being a parent is HARD. But don't stress too much about it. Before all the technology and crap children survived. The olden parents were not only parents but also had about 3 other jobs... And they survived without structured craft and play time.

Hazel eats what I eat. Usually. I like to think that I've got a pretty balanced diet. I don't make her a different breakfast, lunch, or dinner. If she doesn't like what I'm eating then she doesn't eat. And guess what? She is happy, healthy, and TRIES NEW FOODS. She isn't constantly eating chicken nuggets and fries. She LOVES fruits and veggies and I make sure she gets them. But I don't force them down her throat or count how many bites she eats. Ease up. When she's hungry, she will eat. Otherwise she won't. I think that I (and many people) have a weight problem because we were taught to ALWAYS eat all our food on our plates, instead of till we were full. Now I get hives if I don't finish my plates "there are starving children in Africa." So I refuse to do this with Hazel. She is 2 and a half. She has NO knowledge of fat or skinny. When she's hungry she eats.

-Don't listen to the negative people who think staying at home "is the easiest job in the world," they obviously have no brain. 

-Enjoy this time with your child. I can not believe that it has been 2 years and 8 months since I laid eyes on my perfect angel. It has been a blink of an eye. Sure, at times I wanted to pull my hair out and scream and cry (and I often did), but I  can't imagine doing anything else. Hanging out with my little nut ball of a child is the only job in the world for me. I was meant to do this. I am GREAT at it and I enjoy it. I'm not trying to one-up any other mothers out there. I know that everything we ALL do is very important and I know that ya'll have a lot going on. I'm just saying that I couldn't be happier in staying home with my munchkin. I know that there are other stay at home moms out there who do more crafts and play dates and I'm okay with that. To each their own. 

I live by the motto "Live and Let Live."