Getting through the blahs.

September 12th, 2009
This was in response to a homeschooling mom who was feeling like laying on the couch with her head covered all day. She felt blue and blah about teaching.

(((Hugs))). I have been a SAHM and Homeschooling mom for a long time now. I speak to a lot of ladies who are homeschooling mom’s, so if you don’t mind I will you what I have learned.
Being a SAHM and a homeschooling mom is the best job in the world! Each of us loves doing it and seeing our kids grow and learn! We would not give it up for the world! BUT…….
That is not ALL you are. I know it is popular to teach that everything must come before mom. That our needs are to be last on the list and we are to live a selfless life, pouring all into our kids. While I think teaching and raising my kids is one of the best things on earth- it can not be #1.
To reap a harvest in a field, you don’t just run out and start picking crops. Crops have to be planted first! To plant crops you need seed, you need soil that has been tilled and built up with nutrients.
Mothering is a lot like farming. If you don’t take care of mom, you have nothing to give. Does that mean to be selfish and look out for yourself as #1, a queen bee? No. Not at all. But you do need to be filling yourself with good things, so you have good things to give the kids!
You need to be finding joy. When you are feeling sad and blue, having a deep Bible study thrust at you can be another slap in the face. So I am not going to do that, but I am going to suggest this. Get yourself a Bible concordance and each day just look up one entry under the word JOY. You will be amazed how many Joy verses there are in the Bible! I wrote a whole book about just that! Mark them in pink, so you can find them the next time you feel down!
Next, mom what have YOU learned lately? We are made to learn! If you are teaching, teaching, teaching, and not learning yourself- you will begin to feel empty. You need to be flexing your own brain! Learn to sew, paint, decorate cakes, knit, anything you like- but something fun that you have wanted to do! Read books that stretch your thinking! You can learn almost anything at home!
Also, be sure you get dressed ( not in sloppy, stained clothes) and brush your hair every morning. A mom in PJ’s and a robe is going to want to lay down and hide. This is your JOB. Dress for it- right down to putting on your shoes! Wear sneakers you can stand/walk/play all day in. If you wear make-up, put it on. Just because you are staying home does not mean how you look is not important! Give yourself and your kids the respect you would give strangers!
At the end of each day, write down your successes in a notebook! When my kids were small I kept a book called “My over and above ” book. It was a running list of ANYTHING I got done that day. Really. I had 4 in diapers at one point. Two were nursing twins. If laundry got all done- i wrote it down! If we read books outloud for fun I wrote it down! Anything “over and above just staying alive” LOL! It helped.
Blessings to you, Barbara