Stay-at-Home Parents Must Schedule Time Off
Don’t Wait for a Spouse to Tell You to Take Some Time for Yourself
Mar 7, 2009
Stay-at-home parents are on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. There are no sick days, no paid vacations and no lunch hour. Yet modern stay-at-home parents can and should find time for themselves. The best way for stay-at-home moms and dads to find time for themselves is to pencil in an hour or day of rest.
Many SAHMs Work Full Time
Finding time is more than following the old adage of “rest when the baby rests.” That advice is often thrown out the window in favor of house cleaning, taking a shower, paying bills or eating an uninterrupted meal, unless there are other children in the home.
While there is always something that needs to be done or could be done, stay-at-home moms and dads need to schedule time just for them – and that may be when the baby is resting. One of the best ways to find time for leisure is to create and use a cleaning plan for housework. When there is a concrete plan for getting the housework done, at-home parents can be more efficient in their cleaning and there is more time for leisure.
Don’t Wait to Schedule Time Off
Stay-at-home moms and dads do not need to feel guilty for taking some time for themselves. No one is going to call them up and tell them that they deserve a break. The working partner may not even think to tell the at-home parent to take some time for himself or herself, since at-home parents set their own schedules.
When at-home parents are feeling resentment for their working spouse, they should consider whether they are taking some time to rest or enjoy certain activities. Seek to schedule time to scrapbook, craft, sew, read, exercise or renew other interests. A little bit of time can go a long way toward feeling more peaceful and in control.
Take a Day of Rest
Another option is to take an entire day of rest. While it might seem shocking to give up working on Sunday, the results can be positive and far-reaching. Imagine the perfect day of sharing a family breakfast, possibly attending church, spending the afternoon enjoying an activity and then having dinner together. Perhaps the married couple will spend time together after the children are in bed, planning the upcoming week or simply enjoying each other’s company.
Avoid Resentment of Working Partner’s Days Off
One of the benefits of taking Sunday as a day of rest is that at-home parents can enjoy the weekend too. Instead of feeling resentful the working partner has two days off, the couple can share household chores on Saturday or during the week to make Sunday a day of rest for everyone. Clearing the calendar for Sunday can reduce stress, combat exhaustion, recharge batteries and create valuable family time together.
Of course meals will need to be prepared and children will need to be cared for, but if unfolded laundry can sit in the basket on Tuesday night, it can sit in the basket on Sunday. The world will not grind to a stop because the at-home parent isn’t cleaning the toilet or running errands all over town.
Time Management Makes it Possible
Part of the reason a day of rest is possible is because additional work is dealt with on other days. Using time management tools like a cleaning plan or household checklist make it possible to find more time off.
Effective time management may mean unpacking backpacks and signing permission slips on Friday afternoon or ironing clothes for church during the week. It may mean spending the time during the week to research which museums are open on Sunday or finding local events in the paper. It could also mean mixing up a breakfast casserole Saturday night to have breakfast ready on Sunday. All the extra work during the week is worth it to have a day of rest.
Time management is key for at-home parents to find time for themselves. Having a cleaning schedule can help at-home parents find blocks of time for the activities they enjoy. Creating an entire day of rest can be another alternative for at-home parents. Planning ahead by taking care of housework and family plans during the week can make for a restful, lower-stress weekend and peaceful day of rest. For more about coping as a stay-at-home parent, read Stay-at-Home Moms Can Get Control of Crazy Times.
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