Before we became moms we had visions of long walks in the park and playing in the leaves with our babies; soft music drifting through the room while we made dinner with our little ones building towers happily in the background...But then we actually had kids and that all came to a screeching halt. We thought we would thrive as a stay at home mom, but somehow that has not been the case. 

In reality motherhood looks like crouching on your hands and knees scrapping oatmeal off the floor;  battling and resisting the intense urge to yell at the chaos and instead having patience; pushing aside the hot cup of coffee you desperately want (and feel like you need) to play on the floor with your kiddos - motherhood is minutes, hours, days, and years of pushing aside what you want and giving them what they need. 

And it is beautiful. But in the moment it is hard to not choose what is selfish. 

And on our own we cannot do it. We all have limits - but motherhood is not defined by lines. 

In order to be intentional moms who mother with attention, patience, clarity, creativity, and openness, we have to find the time to replenish and refresh ourselves. Because when you are giving, giving, giving, you have to figure out how to be filled again. 

But how do we do that? And when do we find the time to do that?

How To Thrive As A Stay-At-Home-Mom In The Midst of Motherhood

In a few words...

Start an early morning routine. Start a Mama's Morning.

Kids are a beautiful, crazy, blessing, and we should feel honored that we have the opportunity to raise them. But it also is hard work. 

To thrive as a stay-at-home mom we need to find time in the day to be quiet, to reflect, to be creative. And the quiet of the early morning is the best time to do that (and many times the only time to do that). But it is not because we deserve time to ourselves. It because we need time to ourselves to be filled up, so that we can pour out into our families. 

If you are a believer, this is all about taking the time to be filled by our King. We cannot serve day in and day out from our own strength. We cannot empty ourselves for the sake of others, without being filled by Him. It should look like this:

We pour out, and He fills us up so that we can pour out again. 

So if the purpose of waking up early is to be filled, to be re-energized and rejuvenated for the day, and if we want to thrive as a stay-at-home mom, then here is what our mornings should not look like:

What Not To Do During Your Early Morning

• Scrolling through social media on your phone
•  Stumbling over  Picking up toys leftover from the night before
•  Turning on the news
• Going back to sleep after the alarm goes off
• Waking up when the kids wake up

Because, even though some of these things sound good in the moment, they are not life-giving or energizing for most of us. 

There plenty of other ideas for how to spend your morning if you are just not ready to have a good day. Check over here for more. 

In the meantime.... 

Ideas for Your Early Morning

A Mama's Morning is all about prepping yourself for your day. Not in a "let's work on the to-do list" kind of way. It is more about getting your mind clear and your heart focused on what is of value and what is not. If you want to thrive as a stay-at-home mom, there are 5 things that I think are important for every mom to do in the morning, before the kids get up:

• Pray and read the Bible (if you are not a believer, this may look more like journaling or mediation)
•  Something creative
• Exercise (even in the smallest form)
• Enjoy a small treat (that you don't have to share!)
• Sit In The Quiet

P.S. I talk in more detail about these five aspects of a good Mama's Morning over here. 

Practical Steps To Starting A Mama's Morning, And To Start Thriving As A Stay-At-Home Mom

1. Get out of bed

Anyone can get up early, it is just easier for some. If getting up early seems like an impossible task to you, check out these 10 Practical Tips To Getting Up Early and try implementing a few. Even those of us who like to get up early still use a few hacks to actually get our butts out of bed.  

And you've got to remember, this is not just waking up for the sake of waking up. This is for you, it's for your kids, and it's for your family.  If you want to thrive as a stay-at-home mom, you are going to have to make changes and start doing what is hard.

Nothing good comes easy, my friend.

2. Start Slow

Don’t try to wake up 2 hours early on day 1. You will just overwhelm yourself. Start slow, and choose 1 or 2 items from the list of 5 I talked about earlier to accomplish. Maybe for you just waking up 30 minutes early to read your Bible and pray is all you want to start with. OR you might decide to do that and also get a 20 min workout in before the kids get up. If waking up 15 minutes early is all you feel like you can do, well that is perfect. You can use that 15 minutes to grab your coffee and sit in the quiet for a bit. 

3. Just Do It

It just takes you. You being willing, diligent, and disciplined. But, we all need some accountability and a little motivation. So if you need a little push, this will walk you through 8 habits of early risers. 

What My Mama's Morning Looks Like For Me (And Can Look Like For You,Too)

 When its dark outside, and the rest of the world is sleeping. 

When my house is quiet, and my silent footsteps are all that can be heard. 

The kettle on the stove, cup and tea bag at the ready.

The empty couch and the warm blanket waiting. 

God’s Word ready to be opened and tasted. 

Space for the brain to think, dream, create. 

The tidy house, waiting to be ransacked by two small kids. 

A time to be in personal, one-on-one conversation with God. 

Quietness.

Waking up early is a habit, and it is a habit that you can built. It will take work and discipline to do it. But if you are willing, this one habit will change how you function during your day. It will help you to start thriving as a stay-at-home mom and lead you to start enjoying motherhood more. 

If you have been trying to start waking up before the kids, but just can't seem to make yourself do it, grab the Early Bird Mama eBook, and let me show you how to build the 8 habits of early risers.

I'm rooting for you,