The Top 5 Personal Habits Of A Homeschool Mom

The life of a homeschool mom, or really any mom for that matter, can be a crazy one.

On any given day, we’re responsible for educating our children, managing our household, cleaning, cooking meals and running errands all while trying to maintain our sanity. It truly is one of the toughest, yet most rewarding jobs out there.

Over the years, I’ve realized that in order to be successful in my job as a mom and homeschooler, I needed to create some good personal habits for myself. Some were difficult to follow at first, as many new habits are, but now they’re just a part of my lifestyle. These 5 habits have helped me immensely in not only how I homeschool, but my overall well-being.

The Top 5 Personal Habits Of A Homeschool Mom - Plus a FREE printable planner to help!

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Go To Bed At A Decent Time

This habit, along with the next one, has been the most difficult for me to adapt to, by far. I’m a night owl by nature and going to bed for me used to mean that I’d get in bed by 11 or 11:30 pm and then spend at least an hour or two on my phone, reading, checking Facebook or playing games, every single day. I’d always wake up exhausted and swear that I’d go to bed early that night. But like always, when bedtime rolled around, I’d forget all about going to bed early and I’d do it all over again. Every day, I’d drag myself along, surviving only on mass amounts of caffeine. This was a daily occurrence for me.

I finally decided that I couldn’t continue this way and that I would start going to bed at a decent time. It was hard at first but honestly, It was the best decision that I’d ever made. I feel so much clearer now. I’m also happier, my mood has improved and I have way more patience with my kids during the day, which as any homeschool mom knows is so, so incredibly important.

Wake Up Before Your Kids Do

I know, this one sounds awful to most and it was almost torture for me at first. I’ve never been a morning person but I’ve finally learned to not only deal with getting up early but to even kind of enjoy it. My kids wake up around 7:30 am, so I set my alarm for 6:30 am. I can now get up without my kids jumping all over me, take a shower and get ready for peace and quiet. Sometimes, I even have time to sit downstairs with a cup of coffee. Getting this quiet time before my kids wake up helps me feel calmer and ready to take on whatever our homeschool days has in store for us.

Get Dressed And Ready Everyday

The old me would roll myself out of bed, brush my teeth, splash some water on my face, throw on some yoga pants and put my grubby hair into a ponytail. I’d go throughout my day just feeling, well, kind of blah! Every time I’d catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I’d literally shutter. I’m not even joking. It was bad for a while. Now though, I actually give myself time to fix my hair, put on a tiny bit of makeup and get dressed.

Now, I’m not saying that I think everyone should get all glammed up or that you even need to wear makeup at all. What I am saying though, is that you should put an effort into your appearance, even if that means wearing your ‘fancy’ sweatpants or yoga pants (yes, of course, there’s such a thing!). Sometimes, moms, especially us homeschoolers, spend so much time focusing on our kids that we forget to take care of ourselves too. Whatever you need to do to feel better about yourself, do it! It’ll help you feel more confident and ready to take on the day.

The Top 5 Personal Habits Of A Homeschool Mom - Plus a FREE printable planner to help!

Take Some ‘Me Time’

As a true introvert and really just a mom in general, I NEED my ‘me time’, yet I used to rarely take it. My husband would have to almost push me out of the house to get me to leave by myself. For some reason, I’d always feel bad for leaving him with the kids after he worked all day even though I so desperately needed it. I now realize that this time is good for not only me but for my family as well. My husband gets time by himself with the kids and the kids get time away from me. As a homeschooling family, we spend A LOT of time together and sometimes we all just need a break. I feel happier when I get time away and my kids do too.

Now, I make sure I take a couple of hours, one night a week for myself. Whether it be a girls night out with friends, a trip to Starbucks to work on my blog or some homeschool planning or even locking myself in my room to watch some trashy t.v., I’ll take it. I recently started going back to my local gym which has child minding, so 2-3 afternoons a week, after we homeschool, I also get a bit of time to myself, which has been amazing.

Plan Out Your Day The Night Before

Every night after dinner, I take some time to plan out my next day. I’m a planner, so I usually have my homeschool days planned out months in advance for the most part, but I take a few minutes to go over what we’re going to be working on the next day and me set-up our workboxes with all of the books and supplies that we’ll be needing. This is the first year that we’re using the workbox system and while I’m not really using it how it’s intended, it’s still been a huge help in keeping me organized. When we’re doing school the next day, my daughter can start on the top drawer and just work downwards. Everything she needs, whether it be books or even glue sticks and scissors, are there for her to use.

I also like to plan out my day in general. I plan out our meals, any chores that need to get done and my daily To Do list. Our days don’t always go as planned (honestly, sometimes impromptu field trips or even just cuddling on the couch is way more important), but at least I go into the next day feeling prepared. I like to use a daily planning page that I created: Daily Planner printable. It has spaces for your hourly schedule, your to do list, your 3 most important tasks of the day, meal planning, water intake, exercise, and chores. It’s really helped me organize my day. If you’d like, you can get your free copy below.

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I hope this list has helped you out. What are some personal habits that you have that helped you as a homeschool mom?

 

Jessie is the wife to her high school sweetheart, a mom to two adorable kids, a blogger, a book lover, a Netflix binge watcher, a yoga pant wearer and a consumer of way too much caffeine. Stop by twolittlehomeschoolers.com, where she blogs about parenting, activities for kids and most of all, her adventures in homeschooling. 

This Post Has 5 Comments

  1. Adele

    This is great! Is there by chance a weekly version of it as well?

  2. Jennifer

    This is a great list. It is SO hard to go to bed at a reasonable time. That tends to be when I get my quiet time. It is one of my goals this year to start going to bed at a better time.

  3. Juvie

    thanks in advance! looking forward to using this.

    1. Tauna Meyer

      You’re welcome!

  4. Mercedes Chase

    Great ideas! Different mom types can tweek them a little. I used to stay up late but I’ve been so tired this year now I go to bed as soon as I get my kids in bed. I don’t get up at 630 or anything but mornings are easier. I have a friend who uses a daily plan worksheet and she loves it. When I just look at it though I feel stress. It’s not for everyone! We know what we need to accomplish everyday and work our way through it as best as we can, without being overwhelmed by seeing it in print. Then if things take a surprising turn we can go with it without feeling locked in.

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