Lots of moms make the choice to take a few years out of their working lives while their baby is young. There are many reasons to do this if you can afford to, like not having to arrange or pay for childcare, being able to spend precious time with your child at this unique age, and even just doing something a little different to heading to work every day for a while!
However, while being a mom can be very much a full time job, there are some times in your day which don’t require you to be on the go doing ‘mom things’. Over the course of weeks or months, these can add up to a lot of productive time, and there are loads of ways you can spend it. Whether you want to do something that will advance your career once you return to work, something that you find interesting and gain new skills from, or something that can even bring in some extra money, putting the hours in your schedule when your child is napping, watching cartoons or playing by themselves to work can also make you feel less like all you do is housework and playing with a toddler โ preserving your sanity!
Here are three ideas for productive things you can do while you’re a stay at home mom:
Get Your Masters Online
If you would like to make more money to support your growing family when you eventually return to work, or would like to change careers, then picking up an online masters course can help you do it. Lots of prestigious colleges like Rutgers offer online courses, ranging from things like an MBA through to a masters in social work. Whether you want to pursue a new career that fits better with your future lifestyle as a parent by doing an MSW online, or you want to get an MBA and start your own business, there are loads of options that you can study for at home.
Learn to Make Clothes
If you’d like to save money, you can learn to knit or sew (or both), and begin designing and making clothes for your child โ or even for yourself. There are loads of great tutorials online, and making things can be a fun creative outlet. Get really good at it and you can even start selling your creations on Etsy!
Start a Blog or Vlog
Another fun way to use your time productively can be to start up your own blog or ‘vlog’ (video blog). You can pick any niche that interests you, from writing about your hobbies to reviewing child related products for other moms. If you work on building a good following, you can meet new friends, and even begin making some extra money by writing or recording when your child is napping!
These are just three ways to make use of the spare time you sometimes have during your days as a stay at home mom.