Your SAHM Office is Your Home

You never leave your office.

In my former life I would leave work thinking, "what the h---- was that. I did nothing today." Of course I had done something. Even if I had not accomplished my goals, I had interacted with students and set an example for them. I presented material, and looking back, some of it had stuck.

I think.

Switching from a teacher to a SAHM, I honestly felt I would have good and bad days. After all, I would be with little students and I knew potential problems. I thought that the two jobs would be similar. I figured whatever struggles I had at work would be gone, leaving fewer struggles.

This is my actual desk - I barely have room to type.

I was wrong. I wasn't wrong because of what I thought, but because of what I ignored: when you work outside the home, you get to leave, to keep work problems at work, and to start fresh the next day.

True, the problems can go home. I brought papers home to grade daily, but I never brought a student home. I brought stress and concerns, but I had means of escape at home.

Your home is your office as a SAHM. And for parents transitioning to a new role, this is a shocker. If your desk is cluttered at work, you may have energy to clean the next day after having a reprieve. If your kitchen is trashed at "work," you will see that mess every stroll through your house.

I also failed to realize that I would have many "desks." I'm in charge, right? The cluttered stairs, playroom, kitchen, living room - it's all my domain. It drives my crazy, because my employees are a tad unpredictable and free spirited.

After acknowledging this, I began making my bedroom my safe haven. I try to keep kid stuff out of it, and my husband's stuff doesn't bother me. If I need to regroup during the day, I escape. I feel better and then I can return to my "desks," a tad recharged.

What works for other SAHMs? Do you have your own place, even if it is only your bedroom?