Expectant parents are often faced with a difficult choice: staying home with their baby or going back to work and relying on childcare. Another option growing in popularity is to have a home-based business so you can make a living while taking care of your infant. If this is the path you’re planning on taking, follow these four steps to ensure the success of your new venture – written by Amanda Henderson for Real Simple Mama.
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There is a lot of confusion and misinformation over what a stay at home mom actually does all day. Some people forget that she exists, some think that she just lays around or shops online, and others are happy in their ignorance. I got really tired of being ignored and unappreciated so I thought I’d write down everything I did in a typical school day from when I got up until I went to bed. It’s the painful honest truth: This is what a day in the life of a stay at home mom really looks like. Read and be amazed.
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I have two children; once my youngest weaned and needed to move out of our bedroom, we chose to have her share with her big brother. While this setup doesn’t work for everyone, it has been an absolutely beautiful part of our family. I’m here to help you decide: Should your kids share a room?
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What does a stay-at-home mom really need? It’s my birthday month, and of course Christmas too, so a few loved ones have been asking me what they can get me. And while my mind can wander with all the ridiculous things I’d buy myself, I’m here to tell you that what a stay-at-home mom really needs can’t be bought in a store. Here’s all of the free and easy ways you can help a SAHM feel valued, loved, and remembered. Continue reading
No one likes to have a sick kid. There’s of course the fact that your child doesn’t feel well, but then there’s also the stress of what to do: do you go to the doctor straightaway, call and see what Doc suggests, or try to wait it out at home? One of the main variables that parents use to make this decision is to get their child’s temperature. And an accurate reading is absolutely essential when speaking to your medical professional; that’s the first thing that our pediatrician wants to know! We have had such bad luck with thermometer after thermometer – and we’ve accumulated quite a few over the years! – that it only made sense to do a comparison of all our thermometers. Look for photos, manufacturer information, and a demonstration video at the end of the article which goes through all of them and how they’re used! This is the official Real Simple Mama Ultimate Thermometer Comparison Review. Continue reading
More and more families are jumping onto the bandwagon of having backyard chickens. And it makes perfect sense: chickens are affordable, enjoyable, and productive little pets! But the biggest question I get asked about my feathered girls is “How much work are they to take care of?” So in real simple fashion, here is a breakdown of our usual chicken chores. Look for the video at the end of the article! Continue reading
I know that I’m saving my family a lot of money by raising our kids at home instead of paying for daycare. But things are tight when you’re a family of four on one teacher income. So I’ve been looking for months at the best ways to really make some money at home, while taking care of two young children. Today I’m here to tell you all about my two winners, Rev and User Testing: two real simple ways to make money freelancing. Continue reading
August is National Breastfeeding Month, and we are of course celebrating here at RSM. With over four years’ experience in breastfeeding and pumping, I feel like I should get my own parade! But breastfeeding isn’t always about the beautiful, serene moments where you and your child are locking eyes with mutual adoration. Sometimes it looks like a working mom sitting in a closet with a machine whirring away. Yep, pumping moms are breastfeeding moms, too.
So to celebrate National Breastfeeding Month, I wanted to do an article about pumping breastmilk. Because it can be stressful, time consuming, and isolating (and trust me, my experience was less than stellar). But don’t worry: pumping doesn’t have to suck. Here are some tips for how to pump breastmilk, both from myself and Jennifer Jordan, who’s the Director of Mom and Baby at Aeroflow Breastpumps. Continue reading
Bedsharing has been a lifesaver in our house, from saving my breastmilk supply to ensuring that everyone gets a decent amount of sleep. But I don’t feel like it’s mainstreamed into society well; with that, come a lot of secret society truths about bedsharing that only fellow bedsharers would understand. Here are a few of my favorites. Continue reading
Being a stay-at-home mom is absolutely wonderful. I get to raise my own children in the comfort of our own home, and I often do so without wearing real pants. But the truth is, there is a lot about being a SAH parent which society quietly ignores. When I consciously became aware of the tragic irony of the stay-at-home mom, I knew that I would have to write about it. Continue reading
