Stay-at-Home Mom Katrina McDonald Talks About Motherhood

By Lauren Rose Correa, January 22, 2025

Katrina McDonald is a stay-at-home mom to three beautiful children, Greyson, Audrey, and Vivian. She is also a wife to her husband, Vince. Like many stay-at-home mamas, she has chosen to homeschool her children, and this endeavor has become a part of her daily routine with her kids.

Being a stay-at-home mom brings a different set of challenges with it, but it is every bit as rewarding as having a full-time job. Join me as I talk to Katrina about her life as a full-time mama, how she tackles challenges, and what she enjoys most about her chosen vocation.

Q: Walk me through a typical day with you.

On a typical day, Vince usually is making the coffee. We always do some kind of cartoon in the morning until I’m on my second cup of coffee, or at least after I’ve topped off my first cup and embraced that the day has started. [After this, we] start doing the kids’ breakfast. The morning is when we try to get any kind of structured academic work done [with my oldest, my son Grayson]. If I’m doing a reading lesson with Grayson, I try to do that in the morning while he’s in a good mood.

Throughout that morning time until lunch, the girls will play or they might join us and scribble on some paper. There’s lots of bickering involved with that as well. On a really good day, I can get all of this done with without any hiccups, and then by lunch, we’ll go outside for a little bit. Everybody has to rest at 1pm, so even [the older two kids] have to go in their rooms for at least an hour so that I can then clean up the chaos from breakfast and lunch.

Then we might run an errand in the afternoon; usually it’s a Target order pickup, a Walmart pickup, or an Amazon return. We do dinner, and usually the kids don’t like what I make. Then we play and then go to bed. Once the kids are in bed, that’s our time to either tackle the mess, relax and watch TV show, read, or scroll. I try to get set up for the next day, but sometimes [I skip this and just] veg.

Q: What is the biggest challenge that comes along with being a mom? How do you tackle this challenge?

I think the biggest challenge is personal time and setting boundaries. This especially true for the stay-at-home mom, because when you feel like that’s your job, you feel like you have to say yes to everything. Before I try to tackle a personal task or homemaking task, I will read to my kids, directly play with them with their toys, or do something in the kitchen with them. I’ll set them up to wash dishes or let them play with some flour and water. Then I’ll go off and do my own thing for just a little bit. [Playing with them first] gives me the confidence to say, “not right now,” [to some of their requests.]

I’m super open and honest with my husband. If at any time throughout the day I’m feeling overwhelmed or stressed, I will send him a text immediately, and he will check in and give me words of encouragement. My mom is also really good about that.

I also try to prioritize going to the gym before they go to bed. I find that if I allow myself to pull away from 6pm to 7pm, that will let me enjoy the workout, but also do bedtime with them [and relax afterward.]

Q: What is your favorite aspect of being a mom?

My favorite aspect of being a mom is the snuggles! [I also enjoy] being the one to that they run to when they are excited, scared, or upset, and being the one to pray over them and make them laugh. Sometimes I feel like I was so focused on the mechanics of the day that I forgot to have fun with them. Having fun with them is definitely [important].

Q: What advice would you give to someone else looking to step into the same vocation as you?

Enjoy the time! Don’t be afraid or feel bad about putting glamour in your day. Do your hair and makeup. Wear jeans instead of yoga pants, if that’s something you like. I’m someone who likes to put myself together for the day, and it does help me to feel more productive.

Also, don’t worry about the mess. Embrace the mess, and don’t let it stress you out.

Q: What qualities about you do you believe help you to do your job well?

My background in serving and fast food have well prepared me for multitasking! My sister is eight years older than me, so basically, I did grow up an only child. I knew I wanted our kids to be closer together [in age] so that they could have each other. And with that comes a lot of chaos, because they’re little. Being able to have multiple things going on at the same time has definitely [been helpful].

Q: How has your walk with the Lord influenced your career choices?

I’m not sure if I can give myself credit that I felt God calling me to be a stay-at-home mom. But for most of my life, I saw the strain that having two full-time working parents put on family relationships. I know the stress of that well, and I desired something different. God has truly blessed every season of this journey of deciding to be a stay-at-home mom.

Eventually, I see myself working again. I never thought I would say that, but I do miss waiting tables sometimes. I was pretty good at it. and the adult interaction would be nice. But that’s not like my ultimate goal. I don’t know what God will be calling me to do; maybe I’ll work for a certificate to do something else besides work in a restaurant. [I want my kids to recognize what women are capable of.] I’d like to have something else to fall back on, and I’m okay with my kids seeing me work toward a goal.

Q: How do you balance your mom life with your personal time?

I have taken the guilt out of saying, “Not right now,” to my children. “I’m doing this first, and I’ll get I’ll get to you in a few minutes.” At the end of the day, being a mom is selfless at times. Some days it is easy and rewarding, and other days we have to fight our flesh and put aside what we want.

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