Being a stay at home mom is a rewarding choice that allows you to spend time with your children and raise them in the best way you see fit. But a lot of times, stay at home moms may feel underappreciated because there is no one telling you what a great job you are doing.
Don’t let this get you down. Whether you know it or not, you children love you and your spouse, who may not be the most forthcoming with compliments, really does appreciate all of your hard work. You’ve chosen to stay at home so you can be there for your children no matter what, so you want to make the most out of everyday. Here are some things you can do with your kids to make sure you’re appreciated in the way you deserve.
Teach Them About Creativity
Introducing creative endeavours into your child’s life is a great way to set them up for success later on: the arts help improve self esteem and helps kids hone their fine motor skills.
You can choose to teach your kids how to draw or paint, but one of the easiest things to let your kid’s creative juices flow is to give them coloring books. This is an easy artistic endeavour where there’s really no right or wrong way to do things. Let your kids experiment and see how they choose to color the tree and the sky, or whether they like to stay inside the lines or not.
If you want to avoid the mess of coloring, you can even find apps, like this mandala coloring book app, that works with smartphones and tablets. This way, they can color anytime they want.
Take Them on Nature Walks
Getting out of the house and exploring nature is a fun way to bond with your children. You can take the opportunity to teach them about the environment, or you can just listen to them talk and answer their questions.
Starting with walks early is a good way to get in a little exercise as well. Your kids will learn the value of staying in shape while exploring forests, parks, beaches or whatever type of wilderness you want. Hopefully, this will stick with them so they live healthy lives.
Teach Them How to Cook
If you want to really feel appreciated, wait until your kid calls you from college at tells you that they made your famous chocolate chip cookies or made a great meal from scratch that you showed them how to a long time ago.
Teaching your kids the value of cooking for themselves is a fun and practical venture. Not only do you get to spend quality time with them, they will learn how to measure and use a timer as well as trying to avoid mistakes and how to fix them if they make them. Plus, you get to eat afterward!
Know that you are appreciated and try some new things with your kids.