So, you’ve decided to become a stay-at-home mom. You’ll just quit your job and do the thing, right?
Well, you could do it that way. That’s what I did. At least for the most part.
But, what if I told you that it would be in your best interest to start preparing now.
When I decided to become a SAHM, like seriously was ready to take the plunge, no one told me to prepare in any way.
I mean, you figure you just quit your job and do it.
But it’s always a good idea to prepare for any type of new venture.
When starting a new job, we usually prepare for our new role in a new company. Whether that’s by getting the needed certifications or simply prepping our outfits the night before.
Well, why don’t we do the same before becoming stay-at-home moms?! Being a SAHM is a job! So, why don’t we talk more about what’s needed to set ourselves up for success?
In this post, I will be sharing 10 ways you can start preparing now for your new life as a stay-at-home mom. And if you are already a stay-at-home mom, it’s not too late to implement some of these things!
Becoming a Stay-at-Home Mom After Working
When I first decided to quit my job to stay home, it never really dawned on me that I should be preparing to be a stay-at-home mom.
In fact, besides saving some money, I just figured I’d quit and just be home and that was that. It never crossed my mind that I had to do anything else.
Well, once I was home, I slowly realized over the span of these few years that I could have really helped myself out had I treated this like a job and gotten ready for it.
So, I want to share some ways you can start getting prepared now. These are things I wish I knew or had done myself before coming home full-time.
Preparation for Becoming a Stay-at-Home Mom
Now, some of these items will depend a little on what stage you’re in. Are you pregnant and planning to quit in just a few months? Are you newly married and planning to quit when you guys are ready to start a family? Are you already a stay-at-home wife just thinking ahead? Or maybe you’re already a stay-at-home mom looking for some tips on getting your lifestyle in better shape?
However, no matter the stage, preparing is NEVER a bad idea.
1. Save money.
Stack money! Even if you and your husband will be in a good spot financially, still save. Extra cushion, emergency fund, spending money, stuff for the baby, choose what it will be for. But it’s never a bad idea to save.
And if you are in a situation where money will be tight, it’s definitely in your best interest to do this. We did this, and it was definitely a help in the beginning.
Here is a good article by The EveryMom where the author shares 5 ways you can financially prepare to be a stay-at-home mom.
2. Get organized.
Start getting things together now. And I don’t just mean nesting. I mean your entire home and life! Because once you are home full time with the littles, it’s definitely more challenging to find the time.
It’ll make your life easier if everything has a place in your home and you’re not constantly looking for things. Organize the kitchen, bedrooms, closets, bathrooms, and anything that needs it and will make life easier for you.
I can’t tell you how many times I would run around the house looking for this or that while carrying a crying baby, because I wasn’t super organized. In the kitchen, instead of wasting time trying to find utensils, you’ll move efficiently around the kitchen, which is important because you’re on borrowed time.
If you’re the one who handles the bills in your home, for example, have all your passwords handy, links to sites where you’ll need to pay, numbers to call, etc. This way, if you get a few minutes downtime, you can actually knock some bills out instead of searching around for links and passwords and wasting that time and not get anything done.
3. Be prepared to be flexible with your cleaning routine.
One thing you can expect is to constantly be trying to catch up on cleaning. Especially if you have little ones.
I have two littles, one 7-month-old and a 3-year- old. And they keep me so busy during the day, that even if I start to clean something I have to stop halfway through.
So if you are used to having things in perfect clean order, you may have a bit of a shock. Give it time and you’ll find a groove. But being home all the time means more mess to clean and seemingly less time to do it with little kids.
And when you do find that groove, expect it to shift and change. Be flexible. It may be difficult at first to do things a specific way at a specific time every day or week.
4. Make sure you haven’t chained your identity to your career.
Be sure that before you quit your job, you have peace with the decision. Really evaluate your mindset and make sure leaving your career isn’t going to make you feel identity-less.
Otherwise, you might feel like you’ve lost your worth as a person, and your role as SAHM will not be fulfilling. Changing from career woman to stay-at-home mom is an adjustment all on its own. Let’s not allow ourselves to make it more difficult by tying our worth and value to a job.
5. Talk with your husband about who will handle what.
Get ahead of the game on who will be responsible for what. Likely you and your husband already have got some sort of system now.
But once you’re home, that’ll likely change. Talk over those things now so that there is no confusion once you’re home.
Whether that’s who will handle finances, how cleaning will be handled, etc. If you decide on things now, it may help eliminate frustrations later.
6. Think ahead on ways to get out of the house.
Getting out of the house for some fresh air and variety is so important. And this is coming from an introvert who loves to spend most of her time inside away from the world. But after spending so many days behind four walls, it’s healthy for both you and the kids to get out.
But, it can be tricky if you’re planning to visit family and friends because unless you know other SAHMs, most everyone will be working. So, start thinking ahead about the different things you can do to get you and the kids out of the house.
And think of things you can do to get out of the house without the kids!
This seems silly. But there have been so many times when I wanted to get out of the house, whether alone or with the kids, and I just didn’t know where to go. So I’d just stay home.
Look up local parks, if you like play groups look into that, library programs, etc. Whatever you can think of, but just start thinking about those things now so you’re not scrambling for ideas on those days where you just need to get out.
7. Learn to meal prep or cook in bulk or freeze meals.
I can’t tell you how much I wish I would have learned to prep and freeze meals before now. Although I am still not into freezing meals, I do appreciate prep.
Even if it’s just making a big batch of pancakes for the week, that counts! When I finally started doing this, even in small ways, it made such a difference.
The more I prep in advance, the less clean-up there is later, and the less time I am in the kitchen. Win! And, when you have little ones, it can sometimes be challenging to get any meal cooked. This way, things are already done ahead of time, or at least partially.
8. Declutter.
Spend some time decluttering those spaces that are just overrun with junk (do this before organizing!) Because if you think you don’t have time to do this now, it will be more difficult to find the time once you’re home full-time with the kids.
I follow the YouTube channel The Minimal Mom. She offers amazing tips on how to declutter even if you have very little time to do it. I highly recommend it. I’ve learned so much from this channel.
9. Update your wardrobe to match your new SAHM lifestyle.
This is a big one that I wish I’d thought about prior to coming home. More than likely, the clothes you wore to work will not work for your new stay-at-home mom lifestyle. Yes, you can technically wear slacks and a nice blouse around the house, but will you feel comfortable, will it be appropriate when you know you’ll just get it messy?
I’m not saying wear a bunch of old t-shirts and sweats all day. But, you can buy cute clothing that works better with your new job at home.
Every day for the first year or two I would go to my closet and just feel like I had nothing to wear, even though I had a closet full of stuff. But it was because I didn’t really have anything that fit my new life. So start putting together a wardrobe you think would work for your new SAHM life.
10. Do a practice run being on one income.
If money is a concern for your family, do a practice run by living on one income. Test it out, save some money, and see if you guys can make it work.
In Conclusion
Preparedness is always a good thing, and if you’re a Christian, it’s definitely Biblical. Being proactive and prepping for what’s to come (or what could come) helps make things easier later, and sets you up for success.
Preparing to become a SAHM may sound silly or unnecessary. But as someone who didn’t do a lot of these things, I wish I had! Especially tackling big projects, decluttering, and building my stay-at-home mom wardrobe.
Sometimes our lives as SAHMs can seem small and mundane, and not worth the attention that other “jobs” get. But being a stay-at-home mom is a job! And the transition from working mom to stay-at-home mom is a huge lifestyle change.
So I advise you to start preparing to be a stay-at-home mom and set yourself up for success! And if you are already a stay-at-home mom, please share below what advice you would give an aspiring SAHM. What can they expect as a new SAHM? How should they prepare? Ask yourself, “What I wish I knew before becoming a stay-at-home mom after working?”
You are welcome to download your free “The Importance of Preparation” devotional below! No email is required. And don’t forget to visit the Free Resources page on your way out!
