According to Fox News, stay-at-home moms should be paid upwards of $100,000 per year for their various jobs, including housekeeping, banking and providing child care. Whether you have children or not, staying home full-time while your husband works can be challenging; instead of actively using your degree or job expertise, you may feel as though you are stagnating. The way to be content in this position, explains Karen Ehman in her book "A Life That Says Welcome," is to focus on being the best wife or mother that you can be, while also taking the time to care for yourself.
Step 1
Learn how to cook well. Cooking is a skill that can bring out your creativity and improve the health of the entire family. CNN reports that home chefs who avoid pre-packaged convenience foods also can avoid potentially dangerous ingredients like MSG, high-fructose corn syrup and trans fats. Enjoy creating different dishes and become motivated by wanting to make sure that your family is healthy.
Step 2
Speed up your cleaning routine. Cleaning the house faster will give you more time to pursue your other interests, explains Don Aslett, author of "Is There Life After Housework?" Make a cleaning schedule, delegate some jobs to your husband and kids or find some other way to streamline your housework. If you are having trouble keeping up, visit Flylady.com for suggestions on getting your chaos under control.
Step 3
Invite company over. Nothing can motivate you to get caught up with cooking and cleaning than knowing that guests are on their way, says Karen Ehman. Set a date for a week or two from now and invite someone over for dinner. Use the meantime to purge your home of old magazines, deep clean the bathrooms and perfect a new recipe or two.
Step 4
Start an at-home business. If you are simply not intellectually stimulated enough by the duties of being a housewife or a stay-at-home mom, but your husband or children need you at home, consider starting a small business that you can do from home. Think about your previous work experience and determine whether you can do some consulting in your field, answer telephones for a call center in your house or provide in-home child care.
Tips and Warnings
- Don't be afraid to ask for help around the house. Just because you stay home, does not mean that you are solely responsible for the house, food, shopping and children, says Don Aslett. Tell your husband when you need.
References
- CNN: Want Healthy Kids? Learn How to Cook
- Fox News: Stay at Home Mom Worth Nearly $117,000 Per Year
- Book: "A Life That Says Welcome"; Karen Ehman;2006.
- Book: "Is There Life After Housework?"; Don Aslett; 1992.
