Stay At Home With Your Kids Day - August

Stay Home With Your Kids Day

The Online Magazine for Work At Home Moms (WAHM.com), is the original sponsor of “Stay Home With Your Kids Day” back in 1996. The purpose of the day was to encourage and support those parents who have chosen to be home with their children.

However, for many who have not decided to be a stay-at-home parent, the day is the perfect opportunity to take a vacation day and spend it with your children.

Stress and Stay At Home Parents

Now, at this point in the summer vacation cycle some of you are very tired of being home or entertaining or dropping off your children and you can hardly wait until the school bell rings. This doesn’t make you a bad parent.

Being home with your children whether for a day or as a career choice can take a lot of energy and creativity and it is important for parents to take care of themselves and to support each other regardless of the decision. Both of these decisions take a certain sacrifice and toll.

Beverly’s Hot Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Stay At Home With Your Kids Day:

Examine your priorities. Leaving your job may not be an easy decision, but if your heart aches every time you drive away from the daycare center in the morning, it might be time to look at other options. Financially, there are many more options today than there were back in 1996 when the choice was full-time or part-time. Some parents have chosen flex hours, telework, job sharing, starting their own company, virtual companies etc.

Once you have made the choice make the best of it. Don’t let guilt rule and take the enjoyment out of life. When you are home, be at home. When you are at work, be at work. Be present and engaged. Beverly Beuermann-King Click to tweet

If you are a stay at home parent it doesn’t mean that you literally need to stay at home. Get out and find other parents who have made the same choice as you. Share the struggles and find solutions together. Socialize and build up the supports that you have in your community. Look for on-line communities as well for ideas, tips and strategies.
If you are a ‘working outside of the home parent’, schedule some time with your children that is free of the daily chores that need to be done. Don’t forget that they need to see you in a fun light, not just the taxi driver, the task master and the disciplinarian. Makes sense, but when we are juggling so many things it is easy to forget the fun side of life.
Finally, on this day, reward yourself and your children. Being a parent is hard – there is no manual and a million right and wrong ways to do just about everything. Give yourself a pat on the back. Look back at what you have accomplished as a parent and take some satisfaction in that. It is not about perfection. It is about raising happy, healthy, well-adjusted children, in the very best way that we can.

If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!