Dealing With the Isolation of Being a WAHM

In the beginning we love being able to get up, grab a cup of coffee and walk to the “office” in our pjs. Who would ever want to go back to those crazy commuting days? After a while we slowly begin to miss those chats around the water cooler and being able to walk over to a coworker’s desk. Being stuck at home and isolated from the rest of the adult world is one of the biggest challenges we face as work at home moms.

In the long run, this isolation can make you unhappy and even depressed, not to mention that your husband might not appreciate being “tackled” the moment he walks in the door because you are desperate to talk about something other than Elmo.

Take some steps right from the start to avoid feeling isolated in the first place. Build a network of other adults around you that you can call upon. This can be a mix of old friends, the neighbors and even other work at home moms that you meet online. Just make an effort to stay in touch via phone or IM and get together for lunch or grab a cup of coffee with anyone that lives close to you.

If you are feeling particularly isolated on any given day, just pick up the phone and call a friend to chat for 30 minutes. Or pack up the kids and head to your local playground or park. More than likely you’ll find other moms who would love to chat for a bit. When you get back, the kids will be ready for some quiet time after all that playing and you are refreshed and ready to work.

Getting your child involved in Mommy and me classes also helps. It forces you to get out of the house and meet other moms. Check for classes and playgroups in your area. MOPS (Mother of Preschoolers) is a great organization that will get you in touch with other moms if your kids are preschoolers.

Remind yourself that work and your job as mom and wife don’t have to take up all of your life. Find some new hobbies, or rediscover old ones and become active in that area. Take a pottery class, or join a book club. You may feel guilty at first, but believe it or not, your family will survive and your work will wait while you spend a few hours each month on your hobby or meeting friends. In fact both family and work will benefit from the fact that you will return refreshed and reenergized.

Work at Home Mom