Featured Site of the Month: September 2017 – Reluctant SAHM

Meet the SAHM behind Reluctant Stay at Home Mom and what that’s all about!

1. Firstly, please tell us about yourself!

My name is Margaret Westhoff and I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I am currently a stay at home mom of 3 kiddos: a 9-year-old stepdaughter, a 21-month-old son, and a 10-month-old daughter. Before having two babies back-to-back, (I call them my Irish twins because they are 11 months apart) I did admin /document control work for an engineering company. My website is called Reluctant Stay at Home Mom, and the title reflects my thoughts on SAHM life.

2. What is Reluctant Stay at Home Mom all about?

My target audience is other parents, particularly stay at home moms, since I write from the perspective of a reluctant SAHM. The concept of Reluctant SAHM arose when I realized that being a SAHM is a lot harder than I expected. I know I cannot be the only reluctant SAHM out there, and I wanted to speak for other moms and let them know that it is ok to struggle some days and to not be perfect.

3. What inspired you to start Reluctant Stay at Home Mom?

When I made the decision in January 2017 to become a SAHM, I knew that I had to have something for myself, in order to preserve my sanity and keep me from getting depressed about SAHM life. (As mothers, especially SAHMs, you are expected to give and give to your children, oftentimes at the expense of neglecting yourself). I have always had a passion for writing, and starting a blog was an opportunity to share my advice, struggles, and experiences with the world, as I lived them out day-to-day, stuck in the trenches of childrearing.

4. What type of articles does Reluctant Stay at Home Mom focus on?

My blog is divided into 4 main categories: Motherhood, Pregnancy-Postpartum, Renovation, and Reviews.
Most of my writing falls under the Motherhood category, where I share my advice, struggles, humor, heartfelt musings etc. about raising young children.
A lot of my writing reflects my current experience, so life with 2 under 2 is a consistent theme.
Pregnancy-Postpartum is self-explanatory. I’ve written about my “anything but enjoyable” pregnancies and postpartum hair loss.
The Renovation category details various home improvement projects (since my husband and I bought an older-outdated home that needs lots of work to be modernized.)
Reviews are mostly of infant and toddler products/toys that I highly recommend.