Help Needed For The Social Stay-At-Home Mom!

If you've read the "About Me" section already you know that I never planned to homeschool in the beginning.  In fact I COULD NOT WAIT to send the kids to school at first!  Sobbing mother at the preschool door?  NOT ME!  I wanted some time to myself, and after I gave my hugs and kisses and "I love yous", I hit the door running!

To say that I am a social person is a gross understatement !  I love people, and I love talking.  Going from young working woman to stay-at-home mom was excruciating for me!  I went through postpartum depression and anxiety, and I hated every minute of it.  My husband received frequent texts during this time saying "Two Little Boys For Sale- Real Cheap!".  This was my way of telling him "Help!  I am drowning in dishes, laundry, toys, and little boy craziness!  My sanity is at risk here!  Reinforcements are needed . . . STAT!!!"

I mean, yeah, my sons are 16 1/2 months apart.  I became pregnant with my second when my oldest was 7 1/2 months old!  But I also didn't venture out to meet with other mothers until my younger son was about 1 1/2 years old.  That was a huge mistake, and it made the depression worse.  I can see that now, but unfortunately you are not always fully able to comprehend these things in the thick of the cloud of depression.  Going into depression is quick and easy, coming out is a different story!

If I could do it over, I would have gotten out to meet other mothers a LOT sooner.  When I finally did get to the library with the boys, I read about their reading times, and play groups with other mothers.  This led to new friendships, which led to a new local chapter of MOMS Club.  The MOMS in MOMS Club stands for Moms Offering Moms Support.  This pretty much says it all!  It's an international club with over 2,000 chapters in the US alone.  This group of ladies and our group play dates, Mom's nights out, and other group activities were like food for the hunger I had to talk with other mothers that were in the trenches with me. 

MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) is another great international group for moms that has many chapters all over the United States.  They are a great group of women, and worth checking out.

But whatever you do, if you are a social stay-at-home mom, make an effort to hang out with other mothers.  They are a wealth of information, support, and love for the social mother's soul!