In this post I want to encourage you to make time for yourself. I will share my homemaker, content creator, and mom tips for how I get it all done.
I want to be real with you here. Jon was actually the one to come up with this “me time” idea, and when he said it to me, I scoffed and rolled my eyes.
How do I find time for me?! Do I even do that? Do I find time or make time? I decided to call this blog "How I MAKE Time For Me", and let me tell you, its hard, but there is a method to the madness.
There have been times when I was really good at this. But then, I only had one kid, less homesteading responsibilities, and I hadn’t committed to creating video and blog content every week. There was more time then, and I could find spaces for me.
So now here I am with a lot more riding on my shoulders and I have to MAKE the time…
If someone were to ask me what I was up to today, I’d probably respond with, “Oh just the usual taking care of the kids, cooking, cleaning, laundry…”.
What really happens is:
- woke up at 5 am
- made tea
- worked on video and blog
- prepared kitchen for breakfast
- kids woke up at 7am
- changed diaper
- nursed Beau
- dressed both boys
- made bed
- picked up shower mats
- took garbage out
- put away toothbrushes
- picked up stray clothes
- helped Wren get his laundry started
- moved cameras around and filmed Youtube video
I did everything with Beau on my hip (not realizing he had been there for nearly an hour).
- prepared breakfast.
- set the table
- moved the fly trap
- dropped the fly trap
- cleaned fly trap glue off the counter
- talked/sang/danced with Wren
- watched Wren build “SOMETHING INCREDIBLE” (he fascinates me)
- ate breakfast
- washed dishes
- tucked Beau in for morning nap at 9am
You can see there’s more to it than just “cooking, cleaning, laundry”. All of these little things that we homemakers and moms do, are considered ahead of time. The mental work, ya know?
How To Make Time For Yourself
So here’s the truth about “How I Make Time For Me”.
I have developed a routine with my family.
If there’s a part of our day that is always stressful – I work to find solutions.
We wake up and sleep at the same times every day.
- Mom and Dad wake up at 5am
- Kids wake up at 7am
- Beau’s morning nap at 9am
- Beau’s afternoon nap & Wren’s quiet time at 1:30pm
- Kids bedtime at 7pm
- Mom and Dad bedtime at 10pm
We eat together at the same times every day.
- Breakfast at 8am
- Lunch at 12pm
- Snack at 3:30pm
- Dinner at 5:30pm
Our laundry system has evolved a lot since we had kids.
We all have our own laundry hamper, and assigned laundry day.
- Mom on Monday
- Dad on Tuesday
- Wren on Wednesday
- Beau on Thursday
- Towels on Friday
- Sheets on Saturday
Meals are simpler and healthier than ever.
Our possessions are kept in check, and orderly.
We don’t watch tv and we prioritize independent play.
These practices give me the freedom to know when it’s time to get messy and work fast, and when it’s time to slow down and be present for my kids, and when it’s time for me.
I know that if I want to paint my nails, or read a book, or work on my videos, I have three opportunities…
- before the kids wake up in the morning
- during the afternoon nap
- after they go to bed at night
Before the baby was sleeping through the night, I didn’t even consider waking up early. I just set my alarm for 7am and started the day at the same time as the kids. I still find it hard to wake up early, but when I do, it really feels good to have made that time for myself.
A lot of successful business people recommend spending the first hours of the morning accomplishing an important task. This is the momentum for the entire day.
If you clicked on this article hoping to find encouragement, just know that I’m right there with you. I’m still trying to figure it out. Even though our routines help move the day along so that I can count on a few certain hours here and there, things can still fall apart or pile up.
There are days when I’m scrambling through, just begging for a quiet second to myself, and then there are days when I feel like I’m just killing it – house clean, food cooked, kids, chickens, ducks, pigs, dogs, cats, gardens – all happy. Laundry done, nails painted, legs shaved, video uploaded, blog posted, CHECK, CHECK, CHECK.
Just kidding – I never have all of that together at once.
So even though I scoffed and rolled my eyes at the mention of “me time”, I guess it does exist. I just keep my “me time” quick and to the point. At least for this season of life.
