After having your baby, you have decided to stay home full time. Maybe you knew all along you were going to stay home. Maybe you just figured it out when they laid your newborn baby in your arms. Maybe you’re just deciding now that you want to stay home.

When you cut those ties to work and stay home with your baby, it can be a wonderful feeling. For some, however, it can be difficult, as you question whether you made the right decision. Would you get bored? Won’t the Wiggles get old? How will you keep from feeling isolated? What if your baby drives you crazy? Will you really be able to continue paying the mortgage on one income?

If you are having any of these feelings of doubt, you are not alone. Making the transition from working full time to being a full time mom is difficult, especially if you’ve worked all your life. You may wonder how you will fill your days.

Filling your days is important to making this transition a positive one. SmartMomma has listed the keys to stay at home mom survival when you make the transition from work to home.

• Create a weekly routine. Get a dry erase board and plan out how you will spend each day.
  
• Shower every morning, dress, and put makeup on. You will feel better when you are put together. This will also encourage you to get up and go.
  
• Pencil in 30 minutes to an hour of exercise a day. If you can find a gym with child care, this is ideal. If you cannot afford the gym, exercise at home or with friends. Exercise gives your body natural endorphins which will make you feel alive and full of energy. It also gets you out of the house and off the couch.
  
• Find or create at least one playgroup or play date a week. The play date is more for you than your baby, so that you can socialize a little with other moms in your same situation.
  
• Limit your TV time. Pick one or two shows to watch during the day; then turn off the TV for the rest of the day.
  
• Schedule certain parts of household chores and errands to do on certain days. Do not deviate unless absolutely necessary.
  
• Get out of the house every day. Even if it’s just to drop the dry cleaning off. The obvious exception is if you have a sick child.
  
• Plan activities for your children. If you have a toddler, take him to a “Mommy and Me” class or gymnastics for toddlers. He gets bored too with mommy all day.
  
• For older toddlers and preschoolers, put them in part time preschool. This will prep them for kindergarten and give them some organized learning time. They will also develop more social skills.
  
• Plan an outing to a new place every week. Check out local museums, malls, shops, and play areas. Take another mom with you.
  
• Get a pet. A pet is a great companion when your child is napping, so you don’t feel lonely.
  
• Get some ME time. Have your spouse or a friend take care of the kids and get out. Get your nails done, go to the spa, go workout, go to the bookstore, take an art class, just GO. Schedule something for yourself every week.
  
• Intellectual stimulation. Join a book club, take a night class for fun, take up cooking, or learn a new skill.
  
• Take pride in sticking to your budget and learn to save money however you can to help support your new lifestyle.