Making your wellness a priority

In my last post, I mentioned that I had been doing all sorts of things that made me happy this spring. Most of them involved dirty and exhausting work, like rebuilding a deck, cleaning up flower beds, planting flowers and power washing just about everything my hose could reach.

I literally ruined clothes over the past few weeks with layers of sweat, grime, grease, deck stain and even blood, but the work was so fulfilling, because I was doing things I couldn't physically do a year ago, before I made my own wellness a priority.

What I didn't tell you in my last post was that for the last several years I have been dealing with excruciating pain on an almost daily basis. Last spring, it got so bad that I couldn't even pick up a textbook with one hand, or drive an hour from home without pillows propped under my elbows. I was suffering from psoriatic arthritis and even teaching was a challenge because of all the pain in my joints.

Like so many homeschooling moms, I wasn't doing a very good job of taking care of my own needs. My focus was on my family, but my pain was making it impossible to do my daily chores, teach lessons or even have fun with my kids. I couldn't put it off any longer. I had to find a doctor who was able to help me. 

Now, thanks to some pretty effective medication and months of physical training, I am stronger than I have been since my youngest was born, and that was ten years ago. Even better, with proper treatment, I am probably preventing additional damage to my joints and helping to preserve my future health the best way I can. 

Don't wait like I did

I am embarrassed that I let things get so bad before I got help for my arthritis pain. I knew, though, that this message was one of the first things I wanted to share once I got back online. We absolutely have to take care of ourselves and make our own wellness a priority.

Homeschooling takes so much dedication, it is easy to lose yourself as you tend to the tasks of planning and executing your children's education all while managing everything else that typical parents do. But the ten, fifteen, twenty or more years that a homeschooling mom might devote is too long to spend ignoring our health and well-being.

I have to say, I am so much happier and healthier than I was last year. I wish I had not waited so long to see a new doctor, or to try medication that I had honestly been afraid to take. It's been a game changer, with, thnkfully, little to nothing in the way of side effects. 

If you are feeling tired, worn down or in physical or emotional pain, please consider taking some time to address your health. The time you spend focusing on your own well-being is so well spent. You may think you are too busy, with your school schedule and taking care of your kids and your home, but a healthier you can accomplish so much more. Invest your time in feeling better, and make yourself a priority today!

I've been doing the things that make me happy!

I took some time off this year, from the things that probably should have been on the front burners, to catch up with things I needed, or simply wanted to do. I let my blog go dormant for a few months, and I took several weeks off from school. I even quit cooking altogether for a while. 

And what did I do instead? 

I planted flowers. Lots of flowers, in baskets and pots and in flower beds that had been neglected so long I had to practically dig them up and start from scratch. 

I borrowed my mom's power washer and I washed all the things! If you haven't tried power washing, you should. It's addictive. I think, especially so for we mom types, whose work never stays done for long. It's so unlike laundry mountain, which just piles right back up the minute you get it knocked down. You can actually see the results of your efforts, and they are dramatic and beautiful, and last long enough for you to appreciate for a while.

I helped my dad and my son rebuild my deck, adding new railing and staining the freshly power washed boards that turned out to be a lovely light color, and not dark gray after all. 

The kids and I dug a hole, and not just any hole, but a huge rectangular crater in a rock-infested slope, 18 feet wide and deep enough to create a nice level space for the above ground pool we intend to enjoy all summer long.

And I took a lot of time to go to the gym with my friend, to eat better foods and get in better shape than I have been in the past several years.

Don't be afraid to let things slide

I probably lost readers during my hiatus, and I know I missed out on opportunities to speak. I was so late in putting together this year's Unplanner, I don't know if I will end up selling a single copy by the time it hits Amazon later this week. And do you know what? I don't even care.

I don't care that we "fell behind" and will be doing school through most of the summer, either, because I had so much fun through the spring. Besides, we're all pretty relaxed now that we're back to a somewhat normal class schedule, and after school, we can go jump in the pool!

Everything I did these last six months makes me happy. I'm loving my clean driveway and my fresh and welcoming deck. The flowers I worked so hard on lift my spirits every time I see a new bloom. And floating in my little backyard oasis, looking up into the trees takes me away from it all. I didn't know my life needed these things, but I'm sure glad I took some time off to make them happen.

Do something for you

There are 52 weeks in a year; not all of them have to be dedicated to school and housework. Homeschooling is a marathon, not a sprint to the finish. I think we need to take time for ourselves along the way, even weeks at a time if that's what we need. 

Please remember, the years you spend homeschooling amount to a huge chunk of your life, and you deserve to spend at least part of that time doing things that don't involve detergent or textbooks. 

You don't have to go dig in the dirt like I did, but do something that will make you happy, and that will have lasting results that you can savor over the weeks and months to come. You'll be glad you did.

The most important things your middle schooler needs to know

This month, my post, 6 Important Things Your Middle Schooler Needs to Know was featured on Year Round Homeschooling by Misty Leask. I was excited to help her kick off a month of insightful posts aimed at families who are homeschooling middle school kids.

There are so many lessons for middle schoolers to learn, and during this month-long series parents will receive a wealth of knowledge from many homeschool bloggers. You may find advice to help with teaching math, or science, or foreign languages. You may learn more about strengthening your child's faith.

But as I thought about what I would choose to share, I kept coming back to the realization that middle schoolers are at perhaps the most vulnerable age, in the middle of some of their toughest growing-up years, and what they need, more than anything, is connection; to know without a doubt that they are loved.

Hop over to Year Round Homeschooling to read my post, and read more about how you can shore up your middle school kids and give them the strong emotional foundation they will need as they move oh so rapidly toward adulthood.