How I'm Staying Sane - Part 1

cbrayson
May 29, 2015
3 min read

While I am more than grateful to be afforded the opportunity to be a stay at home mom, it has not come easily. I am the stereotypical Type A person who thrives on to-do lists and organization. I efficiently maintained an well-organized classroom for years, meeting deadlines, and (mostly) actually enjoying being as busy as I was.

*Enter Caitlin*

David and I made the mutual decision that I would stay home. No more endless days in the classroom. Instead, my endless days were at home with the baby. No longer did I have an "outside the home" purpose. My purpose became raising my daughter and being my husband's best friend and wife. Don't get me wrong...it's amazing. The ability I've had to see my daughter grow and learn is just so damn cool; there really aren't words for it.

But then your baby grows up a little bit.

Your baby turns into a toddler.

Your toddler runs around like a (cute) wild animal.

The wild animal disguised as the most adorable child ever leaves a mess everywhere she goes.

Your sanity slowly disappears just as fast as your toddler grabs a handful of dog food and indulges.

I see so many stay at home moms complain about their job and I can't explain how much that makes my skin crawl. That's probably a whole other topic altogether, but I am determined to not let that be me. I LOVE my job. I'm not swimming in cash like Scrooge McDuck (yeah, I'm THAT old) but I'm happy and intend to stay that way. So, whether you're a stay at home parent, or just a stressed out single trying to find some balance, here are some of the ways in which I find to be true sanity savers

1) Coloring Yep. Seriously. It feeds my Type-A personality and is an odd sense of relief. Plus, who doesn't love buying new, fresh colored pencils? Makes me feel like *I'm* the toddler. Pshh...take that, Caitlin!

2) Working Out

I know it's cliché but taking care of myself helps me know that I can better care for my family. Orange Theory Fitness has been such a fun way to get in a workout, I don't wander around a gym feeling lost, and I'm surrounded by tons of positive people there. If I don't make it some days, I try and do a home workout like PiYo as a supplement.

3) Hobbies

Hard to squeeze in but so worth it, even in small doses. Organizing photos, crafting, or working on a scrapbook for me is such a fun way to spend some 'adult' time. It might only be 10 or 15 minutes while Caitlin naps or at night once she's gone to bed, but those minutes add up!

4) "OK" is enough

This has been the HARDEST thing to get used to. Best part, though? It allows me the opportunity to do Numbers 1-3. I used to run around cleaning as soon as Caitlin took a nap or went to bed. She'd inevitably wake up the moment I finished. I would get so upset that I literally had conversations with the piles of dog hair that would magically appear 2.5 seconds after I vacuumed. Talk about burning out fast. This is the current state of my living room. I don't care. Why? Because *not* cleaning it means I get more time to do the things I choose. Plus, in the grand scheme of things, is this reallllllly that bad?