With school back in session for many of us, chances are you are TIRED. I know my kids started this week.. I might just be more tired than them. If you haven’t started back to school yet then you just wait — you’ll feel it.. it’s the rhythm of getting back into the groove for the next 8-9 months.
It’s brutal.
I saw a Mom with a Tee on at the school just a few days ago at Registration.. it read “SUPER MOM: Super TIRED, Super GRUMPY, Super FED UP”.
So how do you avoid being that SUPER Mom? It’s SO easy to get pulled into that category, and let me tell you that I have no desire to be struggling with it all school year. .
Here are OUR tips:
Give up on late nights
You know exactly how this works… the kids go to bed, and you think “Gosh, perfect time for ME to stay up and spend some time doing the things I can’t get done during the day”.
I know this because I do it too! And every day I swear I’m going to hit the hay early and I don’t… then the next day rolls around and I find myself in such a cranky mood.. so it really does have to come to an end.
My kids start getting ready for bed at 7 pm ~ showers, clothes out for the next day and lunch pails on the counter. At 7:30 they are IN bed. At 8 pm they are asleep. From 8 – 10 pm I have my ME time. That time usually means laundry catch up, making lunches for the next day and spending a little time with hubby watching a show. unless of course we fall asleep before then.
Try to set a block of time that works for you, and when that block is done, head to the bed. You’ll thank yourself later.
Watch your caffeine intake
Soda can do some crazy things ~ and undoubtedly .. it is so easy to reach for one at home or drive through a drive through for one when youa re out. What’s even worse is that every time you pass by Circle K they flash that HUGE sign in front of you “ONLY $.79!” Try drinking water, use some fresh lemon or lime in your water (or, if you are heavy into Essential oils like I am, a drop or two in each glass).
It’ll keep you better hydrated, and you won’t be as on edge.
Don’t complain or you will lose the magic of the early years
Tired and beat? Try not to take that out on your kids. If your kids are like mine, they’ll want to tell you every last detail about school – including what every single friend ate for lunch, what they wore, and (if you have boys) how FUN it was to use the sink in the bathroom (I’m NOT kidding!)
LISTEN to EVERY bit they have to say – it’s SO easy to push it off and say “I’m SO tired.. we can talk later…” — they’ll lose that excitement, and that excitement won’t be as exciting later on. All they will remember is that you were too tired to listen, to help… you’ll lose that magic that was there when they initially wanted to share.
Exercise
You MUST find 20 – 30 minutes in your day to do this – it WILL do wonders! If you work early, then work out at night. YES, you MAY be tired, but a 25-30 minute walk on the treadmill is just a small fraction of time. If you can’t motivate yourself, buddy up with a friend and hold eachother accountable. I get really tired at night but we DO have a treadmill in the garage and I usually sweat it out at 9:45 at night – with the garage door half open, and the music turned up. It helps me sleep better, and makes me feel like a million bucks in the morning.
Ask for HELP
Swallow your pride: If you need HELP ask for it. That means asking your kids to chip in on chores, your husband, or even your in laws if they are close .. you might even reach out to friends too.
I’ll admit that there are days that I can’t see light at the end of the tunnel ~ those are the days that my youngest son is bouncing off walls, pouring sugar down the sink, sprinkling oatmeal in the shoes. It is THOSE days where I pick up my phone and call my in laws to come HELP me .. if that means they take him out for a drive, to a play area, or just come over and visit for an hour to help me catch up, then that’s what helps me the most.
There was a point in time that I would not ask for help, but it meant that by the time Dad got home, I was a bear, the house was destroyed and the supper was NOT ready. Learning to accept help is essential for you to keep your sanity.
What have you found to be helpful now that school is back in session?
Wonderful post Sheryl!