Homeschool Mom morning routine 5 things that make every day better.

Have you ever had mornings that go from hugs and yawns to complete chaos and meltdowns in what seems to be no time at all? There are so many reasons that this could happen any given morning but in our family it was due to a lack of a rhythm and understanding of the expectations of everyone in the house. Once we started following the things on this list, little by little a little became a lot!

1. Have a plan for the next day before you go to bed.

This is something that took me until my son was 4 to master. If you do not have a plan you will not grow the next day. You will flounder. As a homeschool teacher you also must do as a teacher does. Sad? Still time to teach. Tired? Still time to teach. Feeling a little under the weather? Still time to teach. That is not the way this works in ALL homeschool families (because every homeschool family is different) but for me, having a spirit of dedication and tenacity is what keeps me going. I'm not saying never rest, sleep is just as important as eating. However, so is exercise so for me a balance needed to be stuck.

I know that motivation is aided tremendously by momentum so if I have the ball rolling, that is where the spark of inspiration hits. For our family, it is precisely in the rhythm of the day in and day out that has helped our family the most. Through discipline of our time and whole selves, we have found freedom.

2.Wake up earlier than your kids, or at least not at the same time.

To be honest, for me this does not happen everyday but I give myself so much grace about it because of the season my daughter is in. You already know what is coming, provided you took the time to start #1 before bedtime. You know that you need to pack a lunch or not, and that you will need to finish breakfast before you leave the house or pack that too and head right out after the diaper/toy bag is packed! That being said, just 20 minutes with your tea, journal, and yourself is so impactful to the overall day. I try not to have any phone or social media time the first hour or two that I wake up on any given day. I have a small toddler so I know that it is something not everyone can do this everyday. I know it intimately well, as it feels right now that I am hitting a wall with this practice but I know ultimately that good habits are only sometimes thrown off by real life and if I invite presence into the moment with my daughter I remind myself that the days where she will sleep in, cozy knowing that she was held when she was little are numbered and she will grow no matter what I do.

3. You exercise for at least 20 minutes a day, every day. Exercise is so important- not just for your overall physical health and longevity but also for your mental health. If you move your body for just 20 minutes a day with intention it is something that can completely pivot your mindset and your entire mood. This is such a powerful tool and I never regret giving myself the time to just take a few minutes to myself and get connected to the present moment through intentional movement. If you need less than 20-minute workouts there are some incredible 10-minute workouts, there are even some mommy and me toddler workouts. Those are my daughters' favorites!

4. Get yourself ready for the day in the same capacity as your kids. Do you wash your kid's hair in the morning? Like spray the detangler and you're gentle with it only to rip a brush through your hair, throw it up in a bun and run out the house to the next event or park meetup? Yeah, I've definitely been there! For me personally, I experienced a nagging sensation at the back of my mind that my kids were dressed and confident and ready to start the day, but was I? Ultimately, I didn't feel like I was setting a good example by putting myself last- perhaps they wouldn't have noticed. Perhaps they may have noticed. I just know where I feel more appreciative of myself and excited to face the day. When my hair and skin are hydrated, my eyes are bright, and I feel good in my skin. That is something that completes the morning, and my transitions are just as essential for me to understand as my children's.

5. Motivate yourself in your own way. By this I mean that you need to embrace that motivation is a made up concept and its never coming. You need to find a way to sink into the daily rhythm of the days you create in order for inspiration and motivation to find you while you are working. Motivation is a spark that starts a flame and while it is NOTHING to scoff at, it is something that is not reliable because it is inconsistent. Just like someone's motivation for going to the gym is to be mobile even in later years, your motivation for homeschooling is your own to center with. Remember the journey you've been on, remember how much you've done. Usually, when you go through and take a backlog of all that you've done over the years you understand that you actually have learned a lot.