How to Invest in Yourself without Neglecting your Family?5 min read

One very common challenge that homeschool moms face is not getting enough (or any) time for themselves. But what’s sadder is that as a homeschooling mom, you don’t even try to make time for yourself. You spend your day pouring into the lives of your children and husband and are finally grateful for when you can get into bed exhausted, only to go ahead and do it all the next day.

Does your downtime usually consist of scrolling through FaceBook and/or Instagram? Maybe sometimes you’re lucky enough to get time to watch a little bit of the television or finally go back to that book you’ve been reading for months now.

And especially if you’re a mom with little kids, it can get super exhausting. They’ve got you on your toes pretty much all day (and sometimes, almost all night too).

But, believe it or not, no matter how difficult it can get to squeeze in some time for yourself, it is actually really beneficial not only for you but also for your kids.

Take some time out to learn a new skill, make the effort to invest in your hobbies. This will send such important messages to your kids. It’ll help to show them that learning never stops and that it is so important to follow our creative side too.

Make sure you rest, exercise, and eat healthily. Model a healthy lifestyle for your kids.

Here are a few ways that you can invest in yourself without neglecting your family:

· Try out a new hobby

Trying out a new hobby is always a great place to start. This will help to provide a really fun outlet for you, and your kids will also get to practically see how learning never really stops. They will also get to see how grown-ups can also struggle to learn new things.

If you’re wondering how on earth you will manage to take any time out to go about this, then we have a few suggestions that might help. You could always ask your husband or the grandparents to take over the house once a week so that you are able to get time to take a class or work on a new skill.

You could take classes for soap-making, sewing, crocheting, cooking, cake-decorating, jewelry-making, archery, karate and so on.

The possibilities are literally endless! Think about your interests and what you like. And then make an investigation on what the internet or your locality can offer you.

· Get your creative wheels moving

Creative outlets are the best! Creativity is actually extremely good for your brain activity as well as your mood. Working on something creative is a great way to calm yourself down, or to deal with your emotions. You could write, paint, draw, doodle, color, or even do a bit of photography! You could attend classes and workshops. Try your hand at pottery, jewelry-making and participate in art make-and-take events.

If you are an artsy person, why not try calligraphy and hand-lettering apart from traditional painting and drawing? You could sit and journal. Bible journaling is the best!

Sit down and make some cards – Christmas cards, thank you cards, greeting cards, Happy Birthday cards, and so on. Get crazy, and get creative.

You could also try undertaking a project exploring the best snacks or meals to complement different coffee brews. Understanding the robust and interesting flavors of single origin coffee and finding foods to pair it with can be an innovative way to channel your creativity.

Creative pursuits are not only super fun and enriching, but they also help you to get away from your usual routine and step into another world altogether.

· Pursue a dream

Are there things that you always dreamt of doing as a child but never really got to pursue as an adult? Well, there’s no better time to pursue a dream than now! Think about it, you have already put it off for so long, and if you keep putting it off, you’ll never actually pursue your dreams. Better late than never, right?

Trust us, it is actually possible to pursue a dream even while homeschooling.

You could sign up for some online classes. We are living in such an age where literally everything is available online. You will most definitely find online classes for whatever interests you. Maybe you’ve always liked writing or photography. Buy yourself some pens and paper or a good camera and take a course!

It is possible that the dreams you once had aren’t in line with the current reality that you are living in. But that does not mean that you put them on the back burner (or leave them there forever). You can still pursue some aspects of your former dream, right? Have you ever dreamt of running a marathon someday? Put your baby in a stroller and start jogging today! Jog today, run tomorrow. If you have always loved drama and acting, get involved in your community theatre.

Your dreams may seem far fetched, but you can always pursue a version of your dreams even as a homeschooling mom. And just think about how proud your kids will be of you?

As a homeschool mom, you’re so used to being a nurturer. It’s like second nature to you. Take some time out to nurture yourself too, sometimes. Get creative, pursue your dreams (or at least some version of it) and try new things. As you nourish yourself physically, mentally, creatively, spiritually and emotionally, you will be able to nourish and nurture your kids better too.