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What to Do When You’re Bored As a Stay-at-Home Mom

Mothering, The Nuclear Family

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A lot of stay-at-home moms find themselves feeling bored, even with so many responsibilities at home. However, with some thinking and planning, you can organize your day and make the most out of every day that you have with your kids! Here are some tips for what to do when you’re bored as a stay-at-home mom.

Can stay-at-home moms be bored?

To start off this post, I want to be totally honest with you: I think I could count on my hand the number of times I’ve been bored as a mom.

I’ve been SO blessed to be able to be with my kids pretty much 24/7 since our oldest was born. I’ve had some part-time jobs in there, but none that required me being away from the kids for more than 5 or so hours a week. It’s taken sacrifice, saving, and creativity to make that work, but we are SO thankful that the Lord has blessed our family with the opportunity for me to be home with the kids.

Anyway, all that to say, I’ve had plenty of stay-at-home mom days, and I love them. However, I do know where moms are coming from when they find themselves bored at home. Our kids are the biggest blessings. Still, when they’re too young to talk, feed themselves, or play a board game with you, the days can get long!

I’ve found a whole bunch of ways to combat boredom, though! Part of striving to be a productive household means stewarding the days well. And there are tons of ways to do that even with really little ones.

The blessing of motherhood

The goal here, though, hopefully, is not just to avoid boredom. Instead, it’s to use the days wisely. Being productive, stewarding the time, and training our kids in the nurture and admonition of the Lord tends to naturally kick boredom out the door.

Our kids are entrusted to us, and it is the greatest gift to spend the days raising them and teaching them.

What to do when you’re bored as a stay-at-home mom

However, just because you have a great mindset as a mother doesn’t mean that the days always go smoothly. It will take planning and thinking! Here are some thoughts on what to practically do when you’re bored as a stay-at-home mom.

Plan out your day

Trying to think through the day in the morning when everyone’s awake is hard! Planning out the day in advance when the kids are sleeping or otherwise occupied tends to be much more successful. Think through what the day will hold. Are there activities on the calendar already? Do you have errands to run? Are there extra chores or household activities that need to be completed? Figure out the skeleton of the day. Then, you can fill in the rest from there.

Guide the kids. Let them know what’s coming next. Plunging aimlessly into the day and letting the kids lead is a recipe for chaos, frustration, and boredom for everyone.

Create a consistent routine

Kids love routine (and I do, too!). Having a basic routine every day gives them security and comfort. It also requires a lot less creative effort every day! We have a basic routine that we follow every day. Though it changes every couple of months as the kids grow and the seasons change, from day to day, it’s fairly consistent. Most days, there are only a couple of hours that are basically “free” and require me to decide what we’ll do.

Here’s an example of our current basic routine:

  • Wake up, get dressed, etc.
  • Breakfast as a family
  • Baby naps, toddler does room time
  • Free time (this is usually the time we run errands, go outside to play, take a bath, or do another activity together)
  • Lunch
  • Kids nap
  • Up from naps, prepare dinner together
  • Dinner
  • Family worship
  • Kids go to bed

Of course, there are days when this routine changes. But for the most part, 10ish-12ish in the morning is the only time that I really have to think about or plan out right now.

Make a to-do list

Having a to-do list helps so much! There are plenty of in-between moments or times when the kids are occupied. What do you do as a mom during those times? Having a list of tasks is just another way to take the burden off of having to think in the moment. Instead, whenever you have time, you can just glance at your list and figure out what fits best.

Having tasks to accomplish during the days gives meaning and helps make the most out of them. I don’t want to teach my kids that days are simply for being entertained. Our days and our resources are to be stewarded. We want to make the most out of the time, gifts, home, resources, and relationships we’ve been given. Even from a very young age, the kids can totally be a part of this.

Offer hospitality

Our home is not primarily viewed as a place to hide, hoard, or waste our days. We want to use it as much as we can to learn, be productive, and serve others. Offering hospitality is an excellent way to do this. Plus, the kids love it (at least ours do!).

If you’re bored as a stay-at-home mom, chances are, other moms around you are, too. Who do you know that could use a friend? If no one comes to mind, work to connect with other moms through your church or community groups.

No mom friends around? That’s okay, too. Think outside the box. If you know your neighbors, inviting them over is a great opportunity to offer hospitality. If you don’t know them, get to know them!

Serve someone

If you have even one acquaintance, you have someone to serve. There is literally no end to the things you can do to serve someone else, even with little kids in tow. Here are a few ideas:

  • Make cookies or draw pictures for your neighbors
  • Offer to babysit someone else’s kids
  • Go visit a nursing home and chat with the residents
  • Make a meal for a new or busy mom
  • Surprise your husband with coffee at work
  • Visit someone who is lonely
  • Ask your church if there’s something you can do to serve a church member in need

Start a naptime project

I will totally admit that thinking about diaper changes, meals, and laundry all the time can sometimes become a little mind-numbing. I actually love all of these things (maybe not diaper changes so much), but sometimes it’s helpful to have something a little more mentally engaging to think about.

Most of my naptimes are spent working on blogging or my small business, or doing other projects that are just easier when the kids are napping (gardening, meal planning, larger cleaning projects, etc.).

You could work on any number of activities during this time. Here are some ideas:

  • Start a sewing or crafting project
  • Try a new recipe
  • Read a book
  • Organize the house
  • Start a small business

Get out of the house

Lastly, get out of the house sometimes! Both you and your kids need a change of environment some days. You could:

  • Play in your yard
  • Visit the park
  • Run productive errands
  • Visit a friend or neighbor
  • Take a nature walk
  • Go thrifting for new books
  • Join a Bible study or moms group

What to do when you’re bored as a stay-at-home mom: use the days wisely

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

You don’t have to be bored as a stay-at-home mom. The days are filled with opportunities to teach your kids, love on them, serve your family, offer hospitality, and serve others. Sometimes it just takes some thinking.

Here’s an overview of what you can do to change up your days when you’re feeling bored:

  • Plan out your day
  • Create a consistent routine
  • Make a to-do list
  • Offer hospitality
  • Serve someone
  • Start a naptime project
  • Get out of the house

If you’re a stay-at-home mom, do you find boredom to be a struggle? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments!

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March 11, 2022 · Leave a Comment

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