“I don’t know how you do it all.”
How many times have you heard these words? More than you can count I’m sure. Do you ever just want to scream, “I don’t”? Have you ever secretly felt like you could shatter into a million pieces but quickly realize that would only leave another mess? As a busy homeschool mom, we give and give until there’s just nothing left. Sometimes we become so immersed in homeschool life that we forget about our own needs. (Make sure you get to the very end and download my FREE printable journal just for the homeschool mom!)
Have you become so transformed into the homeschool mom that you’ve lost yourself? I think most of us have been there. Here’s the thing though, you can rediscover yourself……It takes some action, and it’s more of the marathon than a sprint. You are in this for the long haul, so just baby step your way to a better you! Here are five steps to taking care of yourself as a busy homeschool mom.
1). Eating Right
Yeah sorry, I know it’s not a fun one. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing though! Sometimes diets can seem unrealistic when you have kids home all day, so you have to find something that works for you. Please don’t go throwing everything out of your kitchen. Just baby step it! Every change you make brings you one step closer to a healthier you.
(What this looks like for me: I did a total diet overhaul about two years ago. Is it always 100% perfect? Nope, but it’s way better than it used to be!)
2). Exercise
Understand something here…..I HATE to exercise! I have even used the excuse that it’s not a good time to get sweaty. However, I feel so much better when I actually get up and MOVE. The trick is to find something that you don’t hate as bad as the rest. Look for something quick & easy to start with. Another tip, try to do it at the beginning of the day. Otherwise, you may decide to skip it so you don’t have to turn the air on in your upstairs room. Ask me how I know 😉
(What this looks like for me: I discovered that I actually like Yoga. I also do the THM Workins. They are short and go well with my busy day. I do still sweat though, so if anyone has a solution for that please let me know.)
3). Build Relationships
I mean real relationships, not the ones that are solely based on the Facebook news feed. Who do you need relationships with? I believe there are four important types of relationships:
- God – If you are spiritual you need to have a good, steady relationship with our Creator. I don’t mean a Sunday one either. I mean an all the time one. (What this means for me: I make it a priority to spend time in the Word, in prayer, and in church)
- Your Spouse – Yeah, he needs attention too, and he will be there long after the kiddos leave the nest. Plus it’s super easy to let this one slide when you are a homeschool mom. Have a date night every now and then! (What this means for me: My kids go to bed early and we make grown-up time a priority. We also fit as many date nights in as our babysitters, AKA Grandmas will allow.)
- Your Kids – I know what you are thinking, you are with them ALL the time! I don’t mean a teacher/student relationship, I mean a mother/child one. It’s super easy to fall into the trap of constantly being a teacher and never a mom. (What this means for me: I’ll be honest, this one is the hardest for me. I’m still working on it, but I am trying to take off the “Teacher” hat at the end of the day and do something fun.)
- Friends – It really takes a village, so find yourself some positive people to take the ride with. They can be your accountability, your sounding board, and your shoulder to cry on. Make time for a phone call every now and then, or if you’re lucky an evening out! (What this looks like for me: I have been blessed with incredible friends. I connect with them when life allows, and I take advantage of a good night out as often as I can.)
4). Know your limitations
This one was hard for me, and it was almost my undoing. I was born a “yes” person, meaning that I find it incredibly hard to say no to anything, and I like to do everything 110%. This is impossible as a homeschooling mom. You have to learn what is realistic and learn to say no to the rest.
(What this looks like for me: I had to learn to just Let It Go)
5). Learn to have fun!
Fun means no more “field trip” vacations. Okay, you can still have some of those, but not ALL of them. You can also add some fun to your homeschool day. Doing that is okay. Paint, make a messy craft or do one of those over the top science experiments.
(What it looks like for me: I tend to be a bit of a tyrant, but I’m learning to relax a little more. For example, I managed only to include learning in about 25% of our family vacation this year. What can I say, I’m a work in progress. For amazing resources on how to add fun to your homeschool day check out Amy at Rock Your Homeschool. She has some great ideas!)
So there you go…..5 ideas for rediscovering the best version of yourself. Just remember that some of these will be tricky based on your season of life, and that’s okay. Don’t strive for perfection, only progress. Be on the lookout for my next post, which will include 5 MORE tips for becoming the best homeschool mom you can be!
Check out my FREE printable journal just for homeschool moms! Simply click this link and you will be redirected to my store to complete the check-out process.
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