10) Find an artistic outlet. Photography, painting, knitting, baking, cooking, writing…it will be a way for you to create something that has nothing to do with your children. It will remind you that you are someone else beyond what you do for others (which will be so easy to forget).
11) You’ll be able to forget about how frustrating Mondays are. As a stay-at-home parent, all the days are the same.
12) Prepare for the disappointment of losing some friends along the way (work friends). But be prepared to make new ones in places you’d least suspect: the park, a bathroom, or even the grocery store.
13) Be thankful for the wonderful choice of being able to stay at home – not everyone has that option. Be sure to be supportive of the moms who cannot stay at home for one reason or another; their minds and their hearts are in the same place that yours are – with the beings we brought into this world.
14) Mourn your nice work clothes. They will be replaced with jeans, t-shirts, and maybe some khaki pants if you feel like dressing up.
15) Dress up for every day chores once in a while. You’d be surprised at how sexy it might make you feel.
16) Life is short. Work hard at building up wonderful memories for you and your family to relish once you are old and grey. They will matter more than what is in your bank account.
17) Cut yourself some slack! You might be new on the job, but you know who else is? Your kid. Cry if you need to. Put yourself into time-out and eat a chocolate bar. Do whatever you need to in order to recharge.
18) Remember that there are no rules to this thing. Our life is a work in progress. Adjust accordingly (to what works for you).
