Winding Down

With all the craziness that homeschooling children as well as running a household entails, it's so easy to get overwhelmed at times.  I know there are days that I wake up later than I would like which puts us behind schedule right out of the gate. Next thing I know, its 5pm by the time we're finishing up our classwork, I need to get dinner going, the house needs to be straightened up, laundry needs to be washed and folded and the kids need a bath.  By the time its all over, I realize that it's going on 2am (now you know why I slept in late in the first place) and I'm still needing to find time to do my nightly Bible study and some time with the Lord before I have to start it all over again.

It's so easy to get lost in what needs to be done for everyone else that we forget that we need to make time for ourselves.

It's so very important to take some time for you, even if its just a small yet tangible sliver of the clock, because without you, nothing else gets done.  This means you need to take care of yourself so that you can continue to care for everyone else.

I know there are times I feel extremely guilty when I even think of doing something nice for myself.  I admit, I'm the type who wears clothes that have holes in them and are probably 10 years old because I feel guilty for spending money on myself that could go towards something for the family.  I feel that it's only natural to sacrifice what I need in order for everyone else to have what they want.  But I'm learning the hard way that this cannot always be the case.

We as parents need to make time to center ourselves.  Even if it's something as simple as a bubble bath after the kids go to bed, 20 minutes with a trashy romance novel, or 5 minutes of bliss eating a piece of cheesecake.  these simple pleasures work wonders in restoring our spirit and relaxing us after a long day.

Just as important is spending quality time with your spouse.   If you spend any time on any of the homeschooling social media groups, you've probably seen plenty of horror stories of couples disconnecting and growing apart.  It's so easy to get so wrapped up in homeschooling the kids, cleaning house, writing lesson plans, and playing Fruit Ninja or whatever game on your phone is taking up your time that we completely forget that there's another adult in the house with whom you use to have a sizzling romantic relationship with.


We tend to put our kids before everything else, including our spouse and this shouldn't be the case..

Instead, we should put God first, followed by ourselves, our spouse, and our children.  The reason I say that order is because 1.) God Should ALWAYS come first in everything that we do.  2.) You need to be happy with yourself before you can make anyone else happy, including your spouse and kids.  3.) Your children need to see a happy mom and dad who interact and show love towards each other, who do not fight and bicker and who are not just roommates.  Once these things are met, THEN we can provide a loving environment for our kids to thrive in.

So be sure to take time for yourself and to take time to make your spouse feel loved, appreciated and needed.

This post is part of the 5 Days of Tips for Homeschool Parents sponsored by the Schoolhouse Review Crew..  All this week, more than 50 members of the crew have been sharing tips on a large variety of topics.  Be sure to Click the banner below and discover all the wonderful tips they have to offer :)    Here's a few suggestions to help get you started.

Jeniffer @ Thou Shall Not Whine 

Jennifer @ A Peace of Mind 

Jennifer @ Faithful Homestead 

Joelle @ homeschooling for His Glory 

Joesette @ Learning Curve 

Kari @ Random Acts of Boyhood 

Katie @ Katie's Daily Life 

Kemi @ Homemaking Organized 

Kim @ Homestead Acres 

Kylie @ Our Worldwide Classroom 

 Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break 

Latonya @ Joy in the Ordinary 

Laura @ Day by Day in Our World 

Leah @ As We Walk Along the Road 

Lisa @ Farm Fresh Adventures