Working Towards: The top 6 things that I think every stay-at-home mom should know

Being a stay-at-home mother isn't as easy as it looks. I feel like every stay-at-home mother should know this 6 tips.

1. Staying at home is a full time job:A lot of people think that being a stay-at-home mother is easy, that all you do is sit on your butt all day doing what ever it is that YOU want to do. Well those people are wrong. It really is a full time job. By "full time", I mean that you never really get a break. There is a lot that you have to do as a parent already, then by adding in the need to do pretty much all of the house work it is like there is no time for you. It can be discouraging and you might feel like people don't appreciate what you do, but that's all part of the job description. Your full time job is literally your life.
2. You need to be creative:
   In order to be an effective stay-at-home mother, you will need to be creative. By creative, I mean that you will need to come up with different ways to be as effective as you can. You don't have to follow the crowd when it comes to your ideas. If something works for you then you should use it. You are your own person and you can't force yourself to work well doing something that honestly doesn't work for you. If you struggle with being creative, just remember to be open to new ideas. 
3. You need a routine:
   This goes with you being creative. You need to think up a routine that you can actually follow. You don't have to be specific with times, but you want to work on a routine to make everything that needs to be done a habit. My biggest things in my routine include Wynnie and Pablo. Include things like taking the dog out and feeding the baby! It's your own personal routine and you don't need to consider anyone's opinion on what should be on it. 
4. Learn to love toys (and TV): 
   This may be a little hard to accept. Well, not the toys part, but the part about TV. Believe it or not I rely on TV sometimes (especially Barbie's Life In The Dream house) to get through my day. Everyone needs a break sometimes and when I need 10 minutes of me time, I turn on the TV and let Wynnie watch what ever I put on. Toys especially will become your best friend. There is no shame in wanting time for yourself, in fact it might be healthier for you and your kids if you get time for yourself. You won't be as easily agitated or cranky when your baby pulls your hair or rips off their diaper and makes a huge mess. 
5. Not everything works the way you want it to:
   This tip is very important. Being a mother you need to expect things to not work out how you want it to. Your kid may fall and get hurt, they may get a fever, and they may throw a huge temper tantrum in the store. The biggest thing you can do is try to keep a cool head. If you need to, take a step back and breathe for a second. Being frantic and angry or scared will only make the situation harder to handle. Not just for you, but for your kid too. When you take a step back and try to get a level head, you can handle the situation in a way that won't make the situation worse.
6. It's okay to have feelings:
   You're only human. If you feel like you're not appreciated, you're upset that your kid won't listen to you or you feel hurt that your spouse doesn't understand you, that's normal. You're allowed to feel like that. It doesn't make you a horrible person for wanting to cry or scream. We all really do have those moments. As much as you wish everything was perfect, it isn't and that's okay. If you feel like everything is getting out of control, maybe you need a break. Find a babysitter or give your spouse the kids for a couple of hours and get some fresh air. When I feel like that, I have my fiance watch our daughter and I run on the treadmill. It works for me, so find something that works for you!