How to Romanticize Your Life as a Stay-at-Home Mom (from a homeschool mom of 3)
Being a stay-at-home mom is hard. Whether you are in the newborn phase or your kids are school age, it’s all hard. Do you ever feel like you just keep living the same day on repeat? What day even is it? When is the last time I showered? Have we left the house this week?
These were all questions I asked weekly a few years ago. I had 3 boys 4 and under and it felt like I never went out or did anything, and yet, I was always doing something. I’ve learned a few simple ways to romanticize my life as a stay-at-home mom while homeschooling. This has created “glimmers” in my days.
What “Romanticizing Your Life” Looks Like as a Stay-at-Home Mom
Romanticizing your life can look so different from someone else, depending on what brings you joy and calm. For me, my romanticizing method includes lots of light and coffee.
It can be lighting your favorite candle, not just when company is coming. Opening the blinds and windows. Sitting and smelling your coffee instead of chugging it like your life depends on it.
Romanticizing your life usually includes taking a little extra time and noticing the small things. The way the light shines through the kitchen window. The sound of your kids giggling. Hearing the birds chirp or watching the breeze blow the curtains.
It also can include you carving out time for yourself every day. This is not selfish. This is necessary for you to show up day in and day out with your kids. I have 3 non-negotiables for myself (most) days.
- My morning coffee
- 30 minutes of movement
- Quiet time in the afternoon
My Morning Routine (read the full version here!)
I am not the mom to get up before my kids. At least not by much. I’ve always had lofty goals to wake up way early and get all the things done, but it’s never stuck and just isn’t who I am. My boys’s light on their Hatch Sound Machine turns green at 7:30 am and we start our days then. (seriously the best, check it out if you don’t have one) Occasionally I will get up at 7 and try to do my Bible Study before. (This is a goal of mine right now, I’ll report back if I actually succeed in the next few months ha!)
My husband gets up early and usually makes breakfast for the crew. (Lord, bless him for this!) I typically roll out of bed when he leaves for work. The boys eat and do their morning chores and we get started on school.
We use the program My Father’s World and we have really loved it so far! My oldest is in second grade and my middle is in Kindergarten. It’s a 4 day week with an “adventure day” built in. This is so amazing to have a flex day every week. I’ve hung white twinkle lights in our school room to cozy it up a bit and love soaking in the light from the windows while the boys work.
The three year old is kinda feral and just living his best life while we do school most mornings. On the mornings I nanny, I have a two year old little boy also and a lot of the time I will let them watch a low stim show. Some of our favorites include If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, The Berenstein Bears, Rolly Polly Ollie, and of course Veggie Tales.
After I get the boys situated and started on school, I start my first “glimmer.” I make my coffee and tidy up the kitchen a bit. This is so nice to take a minute and smell the percolating beans. On extra “need some glimmer” days, I will turn on a instrumental YouTube scene that fits the season or some calming music in the background.
After school I do my second non-negotiable: movement. Sometimes this is a walk with the kids, but usually I will do a strength work out. (you can read my work out routine here!) The boys have learned to either join me quietly or scatter and find something to do. They also have after school chores they do during this time. Then, on the days I nanny, I go pick up the 5 year old girl from Pre-k.
We get home and do the mad dash of lunch, then it’s on to our afternoon!
Our Afternoon Routine
Afternoons are my sanctuary. Knowing I have quiet time built into every afternoon is what gets me through my day. Every day from 1-3 my youngest naps and my older boys do quiet time. They have learned that this is mom’s time to do whatever she wants, and unless dire, they are to leave me alone.
The older two will do legos, fold their laundry on Wednesdays, listen to their yoto, color, or if they can’t be quiet, they will play outside. I will get myself a special drink: iced coffee, kombucha, electrolytes, chai, Dr. Pepper, and settle in for my “me time.”
Sometimes I watch a show and fold laundry. Sometimes I just watch a show. I will work on the blog, scroll on my phone, call a friend, or sometimes even nap. Which is GLORIOUS! I am a girl who loooooves her sleep. I’ve recently been doing a 15 minute power “nap” where I don’t really sleep but listen to a brain relaxation on Youtube and close my eyes. It’s not as good as a nap but has some glimmers in it none the less!
After quiet time the boys have 1 hour of screen time (if we don’t have a playdate or errands to run.) Usually the three year old is not interested and will play with toys while the older two do their screen time, which gives me the ability to let him do shows during school sometimes. When they are finished with screen time we do our household chores before dad gets home from work.
Our Evening Routine (read my full evening schedule and reset here!)
By 5:00 it’s been a long day and I am tired, but as they say “the show must go on.” I crank some feel good, happy music and get started on dinner. Often times I will light a candle. I love me some ambiance.
Dinner takes less than 30 minutes to cook or I don’t make it. We try to do “best and worst” of our days at dinner and ask one of our table conversation questions. Dad usually wrestles with them for a bit or we play outside or go for a walk during golden hour. I try to soak in everything about these moments.
I know in a few short years our boys won’t be here for every dinner. They won’t want to ride their bikes through the neighborhood or ask to be pushed on the swings. I won’t see the tops of their wet heads covered in soap as they giggle in the bath. They won’t want me to read to them or scratch their backs. The nights are hard and I’m often exhausted by then, but try to see the glimmers. I can already see them shifting.
After the boys go to bed, is another glimmer. I walk downstairs and take a nice deep breath. We made it! I still do a little reset before settling in for the night and then have a few hours with the hubby.
Simple Ways I Romanticize My Life
- Drink my coffee slowly
- Let the morning sun soak into my face through the window
- In the summer, go out in the morning and take three deep breaths of fresh warm air
- Listen to the birds chirp
- Turn on music
- Light a candle
- Buy yourself flowers from Walmart
- Buy a yummy creamer for my coffee
- Occasionally take the kids to a coffee shop for school
- Do my Bible study while the boys play at my feet
- Read more! (I just recently joined a book club and have been trying to bring my book with me places. Read more=scroll less)
- Do little picnic lunches outside with the kids
- Make myself and afternoon pick me up
- Go on slow walks through the neighborhood with some music
- Play catch with the boys
- Watch them jump on the tramp
- Watch the sunset with my husband, and take a few minutes to really enjoy it
- Plan playdates multiple times a week with friends
- Have family fun nights. Just homemade popcorn and let the kids pick a VHS (I bought a VHS Player and a bunch of old disney movies off of Facebook. Best $25 I’ve spent!)
- Watch the snow fall
- Open the windows when it’s raining. Hear it. Smell it. Dance in it.
- Burp the house (open the windows) multiple times a week (winter and summer!) There’s actually alot of health benefits to this!
- Sit and watch the boys play in the bath and splash around
- Listen to the crickets chirp outside the window at night
These are just a few! Almost anything you do can be romanticized! Find something small to smile about for just a second. Close your eyes and breath it in for a second. Boom! Glimmer! The more you do this, the more you train your brain to seek it out.
My Final Encouragement
This season is so hard. We are tired and exhausted and have EVERY right to feel those things. You are not alone in feeling overwhelmed and kinda blah about life right now. I’ve been there and am there still sometimes. I do know though, and everyone says it, these times are fleeting and precious. The mundane is meaningful. These are the days we will all wish for one day, including our sweet babes.
Whether you are sleep deprived, drowning in laundry, or can’t find a pair of pants that fit; I promise there is one thing you can find a glimmer in tomorrow. Seek it out.Once you find one, sit in it for a moment. Let it be a balm to your heart and soul. Once you find one, seek out the next. They are everywhere to be found in our “ordinary and mundane” lives. I promise.
If you are struggling with sleep deprivation, or laundry, or fitness I have a post that can link you to several methods I’ve found to help with each of these things. You can check it out here and let’s find the joy!
There are affiliate products from Amazon in the post and I may make a small commission!
