Seeing differently as a SAHM makes my family happier and healthier.

When this family photo was taken, I was still working as a program manager and campaigns strategist in a fast paced industry - at a time when my life was already slowing down. Little did I know that during this time, God was preparing me to become a stay at home mom. The fast paced career no longer fit my life as a new mom to my third child. My priorities, my plans and my motivations slowly and beautifully changed.

As a SAHM, I now #CDifferently

Suddenly, what I thought was too important for me to give up (my stressful career) lost its luster that I turned my back on it and focused on what gave me fulfillment and happiness the most - my family, especially my children.  This was a major life and family decision I and my husband made.  It was beyond the comfort zone I have been living for almost 20 years (as a working mom with regular pay and generous company benefits).

A year into being a SAHM now, I see things very differently.  I was wrong into thinking that there's lesser life (to none at all) after resigning from the corporate jungle.  In fact, I blossomed, I made real connections to more people, I gained new friends, I rekindled old ones, I get to do things my heart yearns, and pursue more dreams too.  The fears I had shattered instantly as I continuously pray for God's guidance as I obey His will and achieve what we prayed for - His provisions and the realizations of His plans for me.

I love being with my youngest all the time!  Here's Damien with playmate Ysha.

To share with you, here are some of the things I now see differently as a Stay-At-Home-Mom or SAHM:

1.  Staying at home is harder than I thought. Being a corporate mom all my life made me too proud that I thought because I work in an office and bring home half the bacon, I was doing a lot for the family.  My career was too important to me that time and to be honest, I never ever imagined myself to resign and stay at home.  I've always envisioned myself to be working until I physically am able and to retire until all my kids finish school.  But God has other plans for me.  AND I am glad He did.  My life slowly transformed after my mom died, when I got married, and when my husband and I accepted Jesus in our hearts.  Now I realize how harder it really is to stay at home and do all the mom duties.  It's physically exhausting, mentally challenging, and patience testing.  I was humbled by this experience and though taxing as it is, I wouldn't ever regret deciding to stay home and focus on my ministry - my family.

2.  No amount of money could compensate a mom's presence for her children.  Like what I mentioned, I was full of myself when I was still working - I thought I could always compensate for lost time and spend quality time when I am physically present with my kids.  Now I see that both quantity and quality of time are important to help make your kids grow well-rounded, secured, and feel loved.  For how can I have quality time when quantity is compromised?  I learned this from a parenting talk I attended a few months ago.  It stuck in my head and helped me become more intentional in spending time with my kids and being really "present" for them by being with them in full attention and not half-wandering off to social media lalaland or other work commitments or getting dibs on online shopping sales!

3.  Work at home never ends. I used to be a project manager and campaigns strategist who used to create concepts and execute them given a well-calculated timetable.  But when office hours end, my work ends or maybe extend a bit, but it ends til the following day.  Now, I can attest and I am with many SAHMs in saying that work at home never ends.  From the moment my eyes are wide open in the morning, until it's about to close late night (and sometimes even in dreams), I work. I try to reach an extra mile in everything I do for the family and for the home, out of pure love for my family and obedience to God's plans for me.

4.  Self care is a NEED not a WANT.  Since work never ends at home and I tend to give my all to my children, I need to take a break by doing self care.  How can I give from an empty cup?  I need to refill that cup with self-love.  Having time for self-care or self-love is not selfish.  It's refocusing the used up energies from the daily draining grinds at least once a week so I would be rejuvenated and feel good about myself.  Most of the time, my number one enemy is myself.  I beat myself up with mom-guilt, with incompetency, with feeling I'm not enough, and feeling like a failure.  I realize that no one is perfect anyway.  A messy house is a sign of a home where real people live.  A mountain of dishes or laundry means a well-fed and well-dressed family.  I may not always have an Instagram-worthy house, but at least I know I am present for my family and they are happy to see me there, taking care of them.  I stopped beating myself with all these guilt because with God, my supportive husband, and smiling kids on my side, I know I am enough.  But still let's go back that though I know my value, I still get so exhausted and recharging is a must.  Happily my husband supports this and never sees this as a time away from them nor make me feel guilty for not spending time with them instead.  I do self-care by going to a nearby salon, by having an hour of massage for those overused and tired muscles, attend events or simply meet up with friends to connect to the world outside home.  Self-care is a need for every stay-at-home-moms and we shouldn't feel guilty about loving ourselves.

5.  Prioritizing Health Is Self Care Too.  Because as a SAHM I feel I am overworked, HEALTH becomes a priority self-care for me.  Now I see the importance of health all the more.  Among anyone in the household I feel that I should be the last one to get sick, my husband tells that too (at least we're on the same page!)  I've also never took our health and wellness more seriously when I became a SAHM.  Now, I take extra steps when it comes to my family's health. My husband and I never miss taking our dose of Vitamin C for immunity to sickness.  But this isn't any Vitamin C.  We recently switched from Ascorbic Acid to taking Sodium Ascorbate.  We switched to Vitagreen-C, a non-acidic and safer Vitamin C supplement which doesn't harm our bodily environment.  Prioritizing health is prioritizing ME.  Moms need this kind of self-care too!
Why Do We All Need Vitamin C?


Why Vitagreen-C?

• 100% plant-based Vitamic C
• It's non-acidic making it stomach-friendly.
• It's easily absorbed in our bodies and retains better.
• It's anti-stress, anti-aging, and anti-allergy.
• It protects against cancer (which thrives in an acidic environment)
• Helps in glycemic control and heart decease.

I learned that cancer and other critical illnesses I am so afraid of, thrive in an acidic environment in our bodies. That's why I switched our Vitamin C brand to a safer and non-acidic one -Vitagreen-C. I wouldn't have noticed these things and discover many more if I didn't turn my back from corporate and decide it's time to be a more present, involved, and become a more intentional mom.
I'm sure these wonderful moms also believe in the product and had made a switch as well! :)
But apart from taking this daily, it's also important to live a healthier lifestyle by doing these:

• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat vegetables and fruits daily.
• Exercise regularly - move move move!
• Avoid junk food and sodas.
• Be careful with sugar and salt intake.
• Steamed, boiled, grilled foods are better than fried.
• Take mental health seriously - always pray.

I recommend that you also make a healthier switch of your brand of Vitamin C.  Switch to a safer and non-acidic one, switch to Vitagreen C.  Vitagreen-C is available from BETTER HEALTH PH on Facebook and Instagram.

How about you? Have you made a life-changing decision that let you see things differently? Please do share!