Adjusting to the Stay-at-Home Mom Role after Working a Corporate Job - What I Wish I Knew Beforehand

When I worked a full-time job, my purpose and identity came from the work I would produce. I found joy and fulfillment in career-focused performance.

The hard part came when I stepped down and decided to stay home.

The dynamic change from working full-time to staying home full-time felt like stepping out of the Sahara Desert and onto Antarctica. I was so used to work-work-work, go-go-go, produce-produce-produce, that I didn't know how to manage this new position.

No one trains you on how to be a great stay-at-home mom. Unlike a corporate job, I didn't have a set schedule or someone I was reporting to as I completed tasks.

In one day I went from being an employee to being the CEO of my home.

If I could go back and encourage young Carley, I would give her 10 encouraging tips to successfully thrive in this stay-at-home role.

1. You don't have to be doing something all the time.

   I hate laziness. Naturally, I enjoy producing work, creating content, and being productive. It's in my blood.

   
   

   But being productive (and effective) doesn't mean working all the time. It means honoring and stewarding the season you're in with a thankful and glad heart.

   
   

   When you work a normal job, you go to work and leave at certain times. Often, you don't look at or respond to emails, work on projects, or discuss the next meeting until you arrive at work. Motherhood looks very different. We essentially get no time off. 24-7, our children need us.

   
   

   Once I realized I wasn't expected to produce work all day, I began to embrace my interrupted, new role.

   
   

2. Your "project" is now your home and children.

   Before, my day-job work consisted of making and creating documents, training, materials, events, and projects. Our bodies like routines and repetitions. It's why we naturally have good or bad habits. When I became a stay-at-home mom, I had a hard time switching my focus from work I could produce on the computer to working on my home and raising my new baby.

   
   

   As stay-at-home moms, our goal is to create an atmosphere that provides learning, peace, and love. No longer are our main objectives on a digital device, but physical toys, laundry, cleaning the home, and preparing meals for our husbands

   
   

3. Have time for yourself.

   Everyone assumes stay-at-home moms do nothing, but often they are consistently doing stuff for everyone else but themselves. Having time just you is a great way to start your day, pursue your goals, and work on the tasks God has laid on your heart.

   You need to carve out time for yourself (even if it's just 20 minutes), to help reset and prepare for the day. If you don't, you may lose sight of personal goals and agendas you hope to accomplish.

4. Rest is a beautiful quality the Lord grants us.

   Why force yourself to get up early, work, manage your home, and do a bunch of tasks only to feel exhausted when your husband gets home? If we want to show up best for our spouse and children, then we need to understand that we are not called to constantly produce work. We must rest.

   
   

5. Take advantage of this season, whether through pursuing fitness goals, passion projects, and/or service opportunities.

   So many women and hard-working moms long to be stay-at-home moms. The beautiful part about this position is the schedule flexibility. Because you're in charge, you decide how you want to spend your day. Yes, your children will affect how your day goes, but in between feeding, changing, and playing with them, you have full freedom to pursue personal endeavors. Don't waste those opportunities! Learn how to prioritize your faith and fitness here!

6. How we steward our children is how we will steward baby Christians in the church.

   God convicted me of this. If I don't steward my time with my child well, then why would I think I would steward my time with God's people well? The thought process is hypocrisy. Our children showcase our discipleship skills.

   
   

   Are we patient with them?

   Do we listen with open arms and are fully present with them?

   How is our attitude when they act up or throw a fit?

   Do we speak life over them or death?

   How do we practically live out the Bible in our daily lives?

   
   

   If you desire to one day lead in the church, I recommend learning how to lead effectively in your home first. The skills you learn there will transfer to stewarding other lives outside your family tree.

   
   

7. God sees you - even if others don't.

   Staying home is a humbling position. You aren't on a stage preaching or behind a project hosting. You are at home, where no one else comes, laboring day in and day out. The position can feel isolating, especially when you're used to reporting and engaging with adults all day.

   
   

   But God sees you and is right there beside you every step of the way. When I first began this position, I focused on what I wasn't doing and who I wasn't with more so than how I was being refined and growing as a Christian.

   
   

   Hidden places aren't bad. They often produce the best work and prepare us for the times when God will call us to a more public position. The creation of a diamond is a great example. A diamond doesn't obtain its beauty when it's out in the open. It actually is formed when it's hidden and being pressed under the force of the Earth.

   
   

   If we want to shine the Light of Christ like a diamond, then we need to embrace the hidden seasons and allow them to refine us into a beautiful Bride.

   
   

8. You may feel stuck, but this season is a blessing.

   Your purpose goes beyond the job you have. I struggled with finding my purpose after I left my job. I felt purposeless and like I had no value because I was no longer producing like I had been before.

   
   

   Finding your identity and purpose in Christ is key to walking in this season blessed. You won't have your children forever, so embrace these years and enjoy them while they last. Need help finding your purpose, read this!

   
   

9. Worship, Pray, and read your Word in front of your children.

   Your child is a sponge. They watch and mirror everything you do and say. Showing them your relationship with Christ is a great way to help them see that God wants to be a part of their everyday - not just their Sundays.

   
   

   I try to read and journal while Bryleigh and I eat breakfast. Although she is only 1, I hope that she sees a mom who prioritizes her relationship with God.

   
   

10. Create a schedule that works for your family - spoiler, it may look different than the typical working mom schedule.

    Your schedule is unique to you. When I first stayed home, I thought I needed to get up at a certain time, eat at a certain time, work at a certain time, rest at a certain time, and play at a certain time. Why? You are the CEO of your home. You determine when and where everything happens. Choose a schedule that fits you and your family's schedule.

What are some struggles you faced adjusting from work to home life?