Easy Life Hacks to Make Life Simple for Stressed Working Homeschool Moms
As working homeschool moms, we have to do a lot. And it’s easy to become overwhelmed and stressed. I’m nodding my head as I write this, because I’ve been here lots of times. One of the things I’ve done to overcome this is to make life simple. So in this post I’m going to show you ways to do the same.
Make Your Home Life Simple
If you’re homeschooling, working and parenting, the chaos of your house can be multiplied 10 fold. Your house may serve many different purposes, at the same time. And unless you’re a drill sergeant (which I’ve tried and doesn’t work BTW), then this is a good place to start with making your life simpler.
- Pay someone to clean it. This is obviously not the solution for everybody, but if you can afford it, then go for it! And if it’s something that you really want, maybe you can juggle your budget a bit and make it a priority.
- Get the family involved. Homeschooling is the perfect way to teach your kids about chores and to call it learning. ???? It’s a bit easier to make the time to teach your kids how to clean when you’re homeschooling. And it will be worth the effort! Not to mention that their future partners will thank you too!
- Declutter. I’m a big decluttering fan because I do so love throwing things away! So cathartic! It can really help to get rid of unwanted things, but also to make finding and doing things easier. This is a big time and stress saver!
- Do laundry every day. Getting into the habit of doing laundry every day, is a really good idea. We’re only a family of 4 but boy, does that laundry pile up quick! And if I do it every day, I also get a few lighter days where I can wash things I normally wouldn’t like blankets, curtains and cushion covers.
- Create sustainable systems. Things are definitely going to run smoother when you have systems in place. You don’t need to go mad with it But test out systems that are sustainable and manageable. And change them if needed. Follow my friend Kelly at Simple Home Mom because she’s got the best hacks, systems and advice.
- Lower your standards. I know this sounds counterintuitive. Who doesn’t want a perfect home that’s always spotless? Can I just tell you that letting this go did so much to reduce my stress. And to save time!
Simple Food is Simply Better
Feeding ourselves and our families can be a massive job. Not to mention a real pain in the butt too! So if you get this task simplified, you’re definitely going to save a whole lot of stress. You can tackle this in lots of different ways. Granted they may take more effort or even money initially, but it will be worth it!
- Get a meal delivery service. These are great if you have a smallish family and everyone eats the same thing. Everything is done for you so you basically just need to cook. No mess, no fuss.
- Batch cook meals. This is an awesome way to put in a bit of effort and then reap the rewards for the rest of the week. You can go super organized and get loads of containers. Or you can do what I do…I make a pot of soup that I have for lunch every day. It sounds pretty boring but the time I save isn’t! ????
- Do meal planning. It can be great if you’re stuck for ideas about what to make. You can ease the mental load of getting creative because you’ll know what’s coming. Shopping is also much easier! You could make it even easier by sticking to the same meal for more than a week. Hello Taco Tuesday!
- Be a smart shopper. Go shopping with a list. And also start a list when those less-used things runs out. We started doing this simple things and it saves so much in gas, time and money because it saves us from having to go to the shop in the middle of the week.
Simplify Your Homeschool
Homeschool doesn’t need to be complicated. If you’re a working homeschool mom, it’s ok to find the easiest way to teach your kids. And there’s no need to feel bad because you’re not baking with your kids or going on loads of field trips. Your kids are still going to learn! So make life simple for yourself!
- Outsource! There are so many amazing programmes and platforms out there that can take some of the pressure off you. As a working homeschool mom, I outsource Math and will be doing so for Language Arts too. OutSchool is also a great place to find all kinds of interesting classes for your kids.
- Use online programmes. I love using online programmes because it means that I have to do no prep and things like reports and testing are done for me. Winning!
- Homeschool year round. Homeschooling all year is great for so many reasons. It means you can do less and you also don’t waste time trying to get your kids back on track after a break. You’ll be really surprised by how much you can get done! We did two grades of math in one year by doing 15 minutes a day, 4 days a week!
Make Life Simple by Being Aware
Often when you’re in a state of stress and chaos, you do things without thinking. You can run on autopilot and not be aware of things around you. And in this state, it’s easier to just do the same things – even when they’re more difficult or complicated.
Spending time doing things that are intentional and put you in the present moment, can be so powerful. This is the way to take stock, find out where you’re getting stuck, and then to make changes. Some of the things I like to do are..
- meditating,
- journaling,
- and checking in with myself regularly.
I do these things so that I know where I’m going and so that I can see if I’m still aligned with my goals. And I can identify patterns that are developing and work on creating new habits.
Final Thoughts
As with any change, simplifying your life might seem overwhelming at the beginning. But start small and take lots of small steps in the right direction. And once you’ve simplified your life and gained more time, be sure to spend it on doing things you love! You deserve it!
If you ever need someone to support you in the process, then I can help you with this through coaching. I can give you tools to make change, keep you accountable and cheer you on every step of the way!
Follow me Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more homeschool shenanigans, advice and resources.