Have you ever heard the words, “When the kids are grown, I’ll ___________,” come out of your mouth? What fills that blank for you?
As homeschool moms, we explore at length the importance of facilitating opportunities for your children to explore interests and tap into their creative side through fine arts.
But, what about creating opportunities for Mom?
Many of us have dreams and desires, but we put them on hold, hoping that we will have more time and energy when the kids are grown and gone. In the meantime, we pour ourselves out repeatedly, ensuring that our children are nurtured and that they are given adequate opportunities.
But, what if we could nurture ourselves just a bit now? Even if it isn’t much – just a little here and there – would it not be worth it to facilitate opportunities for ourselves?
Facilitating Opportunities for Mom
Over the years, I have challenged myself in many ways. I am constantly seeking to learn how to create new products of true benefit to the modern homeschool community. But, much of this would not have come about had I not believed in the “opportunities for mom” principle and invested in my own growth.
It started when I was a go-getting teenager who taught myself coding and other skills. When I became a mom, the opportunities changed and allowed much smaller windows of time. Sometimes it was investments of just a few minutes here and there. And it wasn’t always directly related to my work.
Perhaps it was learning to enjoy a good run or taking the time to watch a movie with my kids. But even those short bursts have fueled my creativity and allowed me to be an ever-growing person, even while devoting energy to raising five kids.
In a way, facilitating opportunities for mom fits into the self care category, but in another way it’s taking that concept a bit further. When you buy into the “opportunities for mom” principle, you’re recognizing that homeschooling will only cover a portion of your life and that there is a lot of life left to live after homeschooling is over.
Think about it this way. If you had all the time in the world to invest in a personal development or fine arts program, what activities would you choose? Would you learn an instrument? Take a drama class? Pursue taekwondo? Learn to paint? Write a book?
Or, if you were choosing a brand new career right now, what would you choose? Would you become an entrepreneur? An accountant? A psychologist? A chef?
Use your answers to those questions to help shape what you do to challenge yourself.
Of course, all of those suggestions seem like rather lofty, and you might be thinking that you just don’t have the time for that kind of investment. But, it doesn’t have to be anything big or elaborate. Your activity can be as simple as reading a book each month, setting a regularly scheduled appointment with an ongoing craft or project that, or listening to one podcast a week.
Whatever it is you do, consider finding a way to buy into the “opportunities for mom” principle and challenge yourself. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Simply choose something that will stretch you, even the tiniest bit.
Start this year! Today. Find a way to fit just two hours a week into your schedule to stretch yourself. That’s twenty minutes a day, six days a week to pick up the guitar or grow your photography skills. Twenty minutes a day to nurture your heart, mind, and soul.
Some weeks, it will be harder than others to find the time. Progress will probably be slower than you would like. But, a year from now, instead of still saying, “One day I’ll get to do this!” you will be able to look back and see a year of progress.
Choose to challenge yourself.
Even more, choose to invest in yourself. You won’t regret it!
