This is easier with help from a friend. Cindy, a mother in California, left a university environment to stay home with her children. She and her friends trade skills as a way to enrich their lives. One woman taught her neighbor woodworking in exchange for sewing lessons. They did their teaching while the kids played, then took turns babysitting so they could have time alone to practice their new skills.
Many people study for years to become child development specialists.
Take some time each day to observe your child as objectively as possible. Keep a journal, if you like. Then read up on the stages of your child's development, including language, mental, emotional, and physical. Classes or lectures on child development are often offered on weekends or at night, which may make it easier for at-home mothers to attend. Computers and the Internet open many possibilities for learning and meeting people with a wide variety of interests, at any time of the day or night.