Hi Lovelies,
I’m back again with a brand new post. The beginning of a new school year is almost always like a new year in my home, due to obvious reasons. So, I’ve put together my all-time favorite nuggets that I believe will be beneficial to you and your minimes.
Not so perfect timing? You can say that again…
It’s been a roller coaster of weeks but you already know this too because you’re a mum. And this is the reason why the first tip I’ll be sharing will just have to be ‘FOCUS’.
- FOCUS on yourself. I got a personalized gift basket shortly after I had my first daughter, almost 9 years ago. There was a card in it which read,
’Focus on your own needs too mama, and that of baby. You’ve earned it!’
The words kind of stuck with me. Those words were my mantra all through those sleepless nights, baby blues and whatnots and now, it’s the first tip I’ll be sharing in this post.
Find ways to incoperate joy-boosting habits into your life.
- Delegate chores. Contrary to most unpopular opinions, chores make kids strong, if they are age-appropriate. You actually end up raising kids who are more empathetic too, as well as saving time for other activities, especially on school nights.
Don’t get it twisted at all.
- Plan ahead. It’s as simple as that. That way, you ensure you don’t have to deal with regular chaotic incidences and disorganization, like looking for a pair of school shoes in the morning, or having an incomplete homework the morning after.
Trust me, this is coming from experience.
- Make meal time fun. Ditch the devices and gadgets and use that time to also catch up on what transpired in the kids’ lives at school that day.
- Shake off the work guilt. Stop feeling guilty about having to work and getting to spend less time with the kids, as a result. Just make sure they know the reason why you have to work and how they would always be irreplaceable.
This brings me to the next tip which would be…
- Quality time. I will dedicate a whole post to this, because it takes being extremely intentional to achieve this, especially on school days and nights.
- Make wake up time easier. I achieve this by having a regular wake up time and sticking to it, even on days that I may be tempted to wake them up a little bit later or earlier than usual.
Disclaimer- Saturdays are not inclusive, as I let them sleep a bit extra.
Here are some other tips I use to break free from shackles of the wake up hustle-and-bustle;
Giving them a treat on extreme days, like 5 minutes of screen time before leaving the house, or even a glass of warm milk to go with their cereal. But I try not to make this too often, so it doesn’t look like I’m striking a desperate bargain. Kids smell weakness and it can be quite unhealthy, if done too frequently.
Also, letting them handle it, especially for my eldest, comes in handy once in a while, and she feels so in charge and mature. She takes that role way too seriously, if I may add because she likes being the big sister, so I let her.
You can’t blame me for that, can you?
I kvell, knowing that my 8 year old is the perfect big sister to her siblings.
- Homework time is also a bit hassle free when she’s there, because she supervises it and this reduces error to the barest minimum on most days. Its quite tempting to always take advantage of this, so I try my best to observe her closely for subtle signs of fatigue, so I know when to click the pause button, step in more and let her be who she is meant to be, – an 8 year old.
- My car and hubby’s car act as mini storage spaces for days when we may be running late or forgetting something, depending on who does the school run. So, if you ever stumble upon a chocolate bar, extra sanitizer bottle, a spare pencil for last minute homework or a face mask in our cars, you know the reason why.
- Ultimately, be an early riser. This speaks volumes and goes a long way towards getting you prepared to kickstart your day and that of the entire family.
Let’s make a toast to fabulous school days ahead with hassle free prep!
What works for you on school days and nights? Please share because I’ll love to know and I’m sure other mums would too.
I will be in the comment section.
XOXO,
Yours Truly
Nikimandi
