Managing Stress for the At-Home Parent

Stress. Though I'm at home, I still feel it. It's a different kind of stress from what I experienced in the working world. I don't have deadlines. No projects that simply have to succeed or else. No pressures from a boss or co-workers. But there are other things that could cause me to feel like I want to tear my hair out at times.

Melissa C. Stöppler, M.D., has some stress management tips for at-home parents. Some of these tips I've been doing already. Others, I probably need to work on some more.

Recognize that you have a full-time job, and be dressed and ready for your day early in the morning.

When I really think about it, I feel the enormity of this job. It's not "full-time". It's all the time. It's a 24/7, no vacation kind of job. But sometimes, I don't treat it that way. It's easy to submit to the mentality of being "only a SAHM". That's why everyday, I try (I really do!) to get dressed for it. Even though I may not always be able get in a shower before my kid's awake, I also don't go around in the clothes I slept in. No suits, yes, but no pajamas either. No ratty T-shirts. And I comb my hair and put on earrings.

Become an expert in multi-tasking...Practice good time management. Structure your day and plan for active times, regular meals, down times, and work times.

What stay-at-home parent doesn't multitask? There has to be some degree of it in order to get anything done. But I've also found that multitasking too much just increases my stress. There are times when I'm more relaxed if I concentrate on one thing at a time. My husband once told me that I think of too many things at once. Since then, I've tried to lessen the number of things I have going at any one time. Instead I set a specific time for an activity, so I know I don't have to scramble to do 5 things all at once.

Keep a calendar for your daily schedules, plans, outings, and errands.

I use a Franklin planner. I've received strange glances when I pulled it out at doctor's offices to write down appointments. It's as though those people wonder why in the world I need such a businesslike accessory when I'm a SAHM. Well, it keeps me organized (I've got lots of things to keep track of!) and yes, I admit, it helps me approach parenting like any other job.

Allow yourself some adult company every day.

I fall short of this. Of course, I've got my husband to talk to every day. But lately, I've been feeling the need to have more adult conversations. I'm looking forward to a mini-class at our local scrapbooking store this month. It's a start. :)

Finally, recognize that at-home parenting is a very real, demanding, and rewarding job complete with stresses like any other. Like all jobs, this one has better and worse days, things you love, and things you´d rather not deal with.

It's good to recognize that not all days are rosy and filled with laughter. At-home parenting is fun and fulfilling, but it's also stressful at times. We need to remember that that's normal too.