{ Early morning walk through campus. }
I can't believe how long I've been writing on this topic - you are saints!
Disclaimer: I homeschool one child. In two short months she will be 13. She's old enough to stay home for a few minutes if I want to go for a run or drop something at the post office. It's easy for me to come here with my fancy schedules and oodles of free time (ha) sharing all that I have and make it seem effortless. But, I repeat - I homeschool one child. Those of you out there who are homeschooling four children between the ages of 4 and 9... or six children between the ages of 7 and 17. You are the heroes here. I could never do what you do.
Having said that, I do work very hard each day. My time as a homeschool mom is both rewarding and exhausting beyond measure. I wouldn't trade any of it, I just don't want to lose me in the mix.
Before we came to our decision this year, there were the usual prospective homeschooler thoughts that rolled around in my head. Among them, I worried about me. I love my family, they are my favorite people and I love being with them more than anyone else. But...
I love solitude too. Love it.
I have many ideas that need exploring, many daydreams that need tending.
I also like earning my own money, and this venture has been extremely limiting in my ability to produce any of that. Though I knew that would be the reality going in. So, given that my job is one of great responsibility, is a full time position, and is performed entirely without salary...
I pay myself in self-care.
And I carry no guilt about this whatsoever. Now, given our limited budget, my paycheck does not come in the form of weekly spa treatments or yoga retreats with one of my favorite teachers, but I do make self-care a priority. It doesn't have to break the bank.
This is how:
- I wake up early, just to be alone in a quiet house. I try to get up about 2 hours before anyone else.
- Sometimes I go for a walk in the brisk early morning air.
- I go to bed early (we all do actually) - 10pm feels very late to me.
- Showered and dressed every morning. A little time spent putting myself together makes me feel ready, present, and focused. Not really sure how a little lip gloss and blow dried hair makes this work, but it does.
- Communicate openly about needing time for studying, or just to be alone.
- Exercise - make an appointment with myself to do so. Everyone is better for it.
- Yoga - my home (mat) practice these days is brief and gentle, that's okay. Living my yoga is a complete practice in itself. Everything is yoga.
- Cook amazing food everyday. Preparing food is my meditation.
- Candlelit dinner every night. (everyone should do this)
- Enlist others to cook! This is fairly new and fantastic for us. Adam cooks a couple of times a week now, mostly on the weekends - it's been great for everyone.
- Take the time for art and craft, without guilt. Consider it free therapy.
- Surround myself with pretty. A scented candle, a bouquet of flowers, a stick of incense, a fresh set of coffee table books from the library (I'm loving The Story of Tea.), fresh linens on the bed, and so on. It truly is the little things that make for the greatest moments of joy.
- Savor a perfect cup of tea or a glass of wine.
- Check out and enjoy a big stack of magazines from the library.
- Buy and wear pretty pajamas.
Above all, I try to keep a sense of calm, to feel grateful for this choice we've made and the freedom to do so. Some days I have only fifteen minutes alone, other days two hours. Either way, I've quickly learned to squeeze every drop of bliss from these moments of solitude.
And so I wonder... homeschooling or not, how do you take care of you?
