Being a stay-at-home mom is one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs imaginable. Raising your children is a privilege these days, and one that is pretty hard to come by.

Many stay-at-home moms have the added help of a nanny or housekeeper – to ensure that your attention and focus are solely on your children. If you’re not that lucky and you have to manage the house and raise the kids at the same time, chances are you’ll need a little help from time to time.

Here are five survival tips for stay-at-home moms that you need to know:

1. Delegate Tasks

Being a stay-at-home mom is a complicated duty. Many moms in this position feel as though they need to add value to the house because they aren’t earning an income. Over time, that dynamic often leads to issues between you and your partner – and your kids will suffer because of it.

Learn to delegate age-appropriate tasks to your children, which will help to take some of the stress off your shoulders.

2. Be Organized

The number one rule that all successful stay-at-home moms follow is to be ultra-organized. However, you choose to manage your day, make sure that you have a detailed schedule. 

Moms have so many responsibilities that it’s understandable for some of them to fall by the wayside during the most manic of days. Arm yourself with a plan for each day and you’ll be better able to stay on top of things and get enough sleep.

3. Manage Your Admin

Every job has an admin component, and being a stay-at-home mom is no different. Manage your admin weekly, that way you’ll always be one step ahead. Keep your important documents in a safe place and do everything you can to make your life easier.

That includes getting house insurance and a home warranty plan – that means you’ll be covered no matter what happens. American Home Shield offers some of the most comprehensive plans, which will allow you to spend more time with your kids and less time worrying about your appliances.

4. Look After Yourself

As manic as raising kids is, you have to find time to look after yourself too. Wash your hair and take regular showers – a clean mom is a happier mom. Self-care includes taking breaks when you need to and getting dressed every morning.

As your kid’s age, you’ll have more and more time to dedicate to yourself – even if all that means is having time to read a new book.

5. Make Peace With The Mess

There is slim to no point in striving to have a constantly spotless home. That simply isn’t an attainable goal when you have children, especially older ones. Learn to make peace with your space being untidy from time to time; you want to raise your children in a happy home – not a stiff museum.

Children learn by getting messy, so embrace the mess – it’s not the end of the world; it’s just mess.