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Stay-at-home Moms with Toddlers
A Survival Guide to Help Keep Your Days a Little Less Stressful
By Shannon McKelden
Just because you're a stay-at-home mom doesn't mean your life is without stress. While newborns sleep much of the time, giving you a few built-in breaks, if you stay home with an active toddler, you really have your hands full!
How can stay-at-home moms with a toddler (or two!) make their days productive with these active little people around?
According to Lori Barrett, founder of Thinkertots, a parent/child education program based in New York, it's all in the planning. "Endless unstructured hours can be a killer for both of you," she says. "Plan a weekly schedule as well as a daily schedule." Barrett believes that structuring your days, breaking up long hours into bits, makes things easier to accomplish.
The schedule doesn't necessarily have to be filled with child-specific activities, either. Dr. Carl Arinoldo, a psychologist and author of Essentials of Smart Parenting: Learning the Fine Art of Managing Your Children (Nova Science Publishers, 2007), suggests that toddlers can actually be more helpful around the house than moms may give them credit for.
"Make some regular chores, such as dusting or making lunch, into game-like activities so the child can help out," Dr. Arinoldo says. "When doing laundry, the child can help separate the whites from the colors or carry an item or two to the washing machine. As a bonus, the parent can also teach the child colors while sorting!"
Toddlers don't think of chores as work, so they actually enjoy them. Jenn DeCuir's 2 1/2-year-old daughter actually insists on helping out. "Since it's just the two of us all day, I'm learning to be patient and let her help me," says the Bothell, Wash., mom. "She loves to load the washing machine and the dishwasher. When it's time to sweep, I can't get the broom away from her!"
