Why Self Care
Isn’t Selfish…
As homeschool moms, we spend most our days giving. Giving up our personal space and our personal time. Between teaching lessons and filling the daily needs of our children, our time ends up being completely consumed by the tiny humans in our home.
It is exhausting.
In order to be the best version of ourselves, we absolutely must take the time to fill our own cup. If we are constantly pouring ourselves out by giving to those around us, our cup becomes empty.
What purpose can an empty cup serve?
If your cup is constantly empty and you have nothing left to give, the stress will begin to consume you. However, if you’ve taken the time to fill your cup even the slightest little bit each day, you will be able to become the mom your kids need without feeling completely hopeless!
Sound like an unrealistic fantasy? It’s totally not.
The best way to practice self care is by sneaking it in throughout a typical homeschool day! Not sure how to do that? I’ve got you covered.
Check out some of my favorite tips below!
3 Simple Ways
to Sneak in Self Care…
#1 By Taking a Daily Coffee Break
This type of self care can easily be accomplished on a daily basis, simply by scheduling it. Try adding a coffee break to your homeschool routine by creating a simple quiet time or daily homeschool looping schedule.
If you have small children that still nap… First, count yourself as extremely lucky because we haven’t had a napping child in our home for over 4 years! Once my last child stopped napping at the age of 2, we entered some rough territory! This is why quiet time quickly became an essential part of our homeschool routine.
This is crazy good, you guys! Planning a quiet time allows me to soak up some much needed me time.
Recently though, our quiet time converted over into a looping schedule instead. With the kids growing and changing, our schedule needed a little revamp as well.
If you have older children and haven’t started looping yet, you are definitely missing out!
Check out Kid’s Activities & Homeschool Looping for all my times on getting started!
#2 By Sneaking in Some Free Time
This! Sneak free time into your schedule whenever and wherever possible! When the weather is super nice and my kids are bouncing off the walls, I stretch our 3 day school week into 4, or simply skip a lesson and tack it onto our weekend plans. This way my kids can get outside and I can get a little R&R.
Not even guilty about this one, you guys! So incredibly simple – yet perfect!
#3 By Retreating to Your Space
Can I get an amen?
I don’t know about you, but my bedroom is my space. After dinner is finished and the kitchen is tidy, kids head to their beds and I retreat to my safe zone. Sometimes I binge watch my shows, other times I work. There may even be a glass of wine or delicious treat involved from time to time.
Either way, this is my time to settle down and chillax after a long day of caring for those around me.
Want to learn more about adding self care to your night time routine?
Check out 10 Ways to De-stress After a Long Day for super simple ideas.
Self Care Tips
Ideas That Take Little Effort…
Reading Books for You
I have never been a huge book reader. Unfortunately, I was in the public school system for much of my childhood and got pushed along without ever learning how to read for fun. Reading was a complete chore. I didn’t understand it and to be honest, I just wasn’t very good at it.
It wasn’t until I entered my 2nd year as a homeschool mom, that I really saw the benefit of reading – for myself. Finding the time to do so however, was not always an easy task!
If you don’t think you have the time to read because you homeschool your kids, you’re probably wrong – I know I was! It took me a little time, but I finally figured out how to slip in some reading up to to 2 times a week.
Humor me for a moment and take a simple glance over your weekly schedule. Do you have children that attend a co-op, play sports, or take music lessons? If so – I guarantee you have time for a little self care reading!
Finding the Time to Read…
Pick out a simple self help or inspirational mom book, then simply stash it in your purse or field trip bag to get started!
My kids attend science classes at our zoo twice a month and gym class at a local gymnastics studio once a week. This is my reading time! I soak up every single minute I can and simply enjoy whatever reading material I’m currently working through. Sometimes I can finish a book in a couple weeks, other times it might take a couple months… but you know what? It always feels like a great big accomplishment!
Journaling or Doodling
This is so simple, yet so incredibly freeing! Journaling is one of my favorite self care options and honestly, I don’t do it nearly enough!! I used to journal every day during my daughter’s quiet time, but that quickly faded.
Waiting till the afternoon to pull out my journal just wasn’t cutting it. I have found that if I take my journal to the couch with me in the morning hours, there is a much larger chance that I will actually keep it near me and use it throughout the day!
Our homeschool morning routine consists of what I consider a lazy morning basket, chores and some simple book work. I know lots of homeschool moms get super creative and create these wonderful morning basket themes and plans that seriously put my lazy morning basket to shame.
However, I am simply not a morning person. So to be quite honest, I need a little bit of lazy in the morning hours!
Using Your Morning Time Wisely…
If you’re a huge morning person, then by all means get up early for your journal time and plan that lavish morning basket! However, if you’re totally morning impaired like I am, keep your mornings simple and easy! Just make sure to use your time wisely.
I take my time in the morning. I sip on my coffee, jot down things in my journal, read a little with my youngest and let my kids do the rest! My older children quiz each other on their flash cards, work in their activity books and do a little reading while my youngest plays, colors or works in a workbook.
Such a simple way to take care of yourself while starting your busy day!
Creating a Beauty Routine
This can be a hard one! On a typical day I take a quick shower, throw some clothes and mascara on, run my fingers through my hair and call it good. However, there are so many other little things that can make a mom feel more refreshed and like herself.
From a simple mani-pedi at home to an amazing facial that leaves your skin feeling buttery soft. These little extras are totally essential sometimes, you guys!
I definitely wish I fit these things into my routine more often than I do. However, I do find some creative ways to squeeze them in here and there!
Not feeling quite like yourself? Don’t let homeschooling take away from who you are as a mom, check out Appearance & The Homeschool Mom for a little appearance inspiration!
Fitting the Extras Into Your Routine…
On a beautiful day, try utilizing your children’s lunch hour for a little mom mani-pedi time! Fix up a simple lunch and take your kids outside to eat and play over lunch, while you focus on you! If you have super little ones, you might have to get a little creative by using a playpen or having older children watch younger ones.
Do whatever you have to do momma, cause self care moments like these are essential to your sanity!
Use your weeknights and weekends! Tuck the kids in bed and slap a deep pore cleansing mask on your face once a week. Too tired at the end of your long homeschool day? Talk it over with your spouse and plan an hour of me time every weekend. I’ve been known to give myself a random facial in the middle of a Saturday afternoon, and you totally can too!
Sipping Your Favorite Drink
Can it really get any more simple than this?? I typically sip my coffee during our morning basket time. However, there are the random days where this doesn’t actually happen. For days like that, I plan a little outdoor learning fun for the kids and a little coffee drinking time for mom.
Multitasking for the win! I love sitting outside in our driveway drinking a delicious warm cup of coffee while my daughter practices her spelling words with sidewalk chalk. I literally get two things accomplished at one time. Spelling, CHECK! Self care, CHECK! Simple, but amazing!
Plus, if your kids get antsy with the learning, they can play or ride their bike in between practicing words. Make it a flexible learning time and keep your sanity!
Want to know more about how we do spelling practice in our home?
Check out Hands on Ways to Practice Kindergarten Spelling Words & The Kindergarten Spelling Box
Homeschool Mom Self Care
Just do it!
Seriously though, don’t slack off on this one. Self care is so incredibly essential to the homeschool mom. Sneak it in any way you possibly can. There should never, ever be mom guilt associated with simply caring for yourself either – definitely toss that big fat stigma out the window!
Take care of you, so that you can take care of them!
Love this post? Please take a moment to share it on social media!
Need More Mom Helps
and Self Care Tips?
Check out some of these top posts!
- Momma’s Power Coffee
- 10 Must Have Products for Mom
- Shopping and the Homeschool Mom
- Household Management for the Homeschool Mom
- Mom’s Master Schedule
