INSIDE: Tips and tricks for learning and growing even as a busy mom!
As mothers, the majority of our life is spent on the mundane. We clean, we cook, we kiss boo-boos, and read the same story over and over again.
In reality, the everyday tasks that fill our life are anything but mundane. This is where we work out our holiness. This is the work of raising and caring for eternal souls. Is there anything higher?
But if we are to raise our family to such heights, we must also nourish our own heart, mind, and body. We should take time in God’s Word, we should tend our temple, and we should continually be about the business of self education and improvement.
It isn’t about “self care”
This is not some spin on “self care” or about “filling our own tank first” – which, to me, is just good old fashioned selfishness cloaked in catchy modern day phraseology.
No, what I am talking about here goes so much deeper. It is about finding ways to nourish ourselves with the same Truth, Beauty, and Goodness we feed our children.
If we do not have Truth, Beauty, and Goodness in our soul, how can we impart these to our offspring?
Jesus tells us to take up our cross not climb the mountain to practice self care. Our time alone should never be an escape from reality, but always the springboard for greater service.
Learning, growing, and renewing should never come at the expense of our children, our spouse, or anyone else. As Christian we aren’t to self care but self give to the point of shedding our own life for others.
How can a mother self educate?
Yes, this is all fine and good, you say, but how am I actually to do this task of self education? How am I to learn and grow, especially if I am to do it without being a burden to my family?
Is this high ideal of the growing mother even possible? In truth, the busy mother’s time learning and developing will look much different than single woman or the empty nester, but, nevertheless, self education should form a cornerstone in the mother’s daily journey.
But how is the busy mama to add this one more task to her already overflowing to-do list?
Formats for self education
Audio
- Podcasts and radio shows
- Audio Books
- Conferences, homilies, etc.
How? Download resources on your phone or device if you are fancy like that. I don’t actually own a smart phone but I can still access audio resources with our family’s Chromebook while at home.
Perfect for This format is perfect for learning while your hands are busy with something else. I love to listen to audio while I: workout, clean, cook, paint, do random household projects, or drive in the car.
Books
While I adore audio because it easily fits into my busy day, I love snuggling in with a good book. I prefer a “real” book, but also love our family Kindle as a way of accessing even more literary fodder.
How? Ereader or old fashioned paperback! Check out your library for titles you want to read. (Amazon usually has a great intro offer on Kindle Unlimited – feel free to cancel at any time!)
Perfect for The #1 way I’ve found to sneak reading into my day is to have a variety of books strewn about the house. When I get a moment (like nursing the baby) there is always a book within reach. It is amazing what you can accomplish by reading just a couple pages at a time.
Conferences
A conference is such a wonderful way to be completely immersed in a particular topic for a short time span.
While Husband and I have only been able to attend one conference during our whole married life, we have “attended” many from our couch via the web (this is a regular part of our Catholic Date Night In).
How? Attend in person if you can, but find great conferences after the fact on the web.
Perfect for Those who have the help available (you lucky dog!) to make attendance a marriage builder too!
Fitting Self Education in:
I can hear you now. Elizabeth, how do we squeeze all this learning in?
Catholic Date Night In
The age of our children, the age and distance of family, and our cheapskate nature all means Husband and I don’t get out much BUT we are very intentional about spending time together every evening.
We use our evenings together to learn about our faith, but we’ve also listened to non-religious audio books together. Read more about how we do it here.
Sabbath
We are very intentional with our Sundays. They are a restful time without outside activities, no projects, and bare minimum household work.
This provides us a whole day of family time, opportunities for service, family recreation, as well as leisure time for reading. In fact, this is when I get most of my reading done!
In the car
Tune into a good talk radio station, hook up your digital media (if you’re fancy like that!), or pop in an educational CD.
My kiddos with me, so we use this time to learn together by listening to classical music or audio books (our favorites are the Truth and Life Bible and the Story of the World).
Quiet Hour
As part of our daily routine, we have a quiet hour in the early afternoon. This is when the kids and I go to separate areas of the house and read.
(If you have little ones who don’t read, check out my post with lots of activities for your non-readers to do during quiet hour.) I’ve managed a lot of self education during quiet time over the years.
Early Morning
I go in phases with my morning time. It seems like right when I finally get in the groove of an early rising ritual, I find out I’m expecting again and lose all the energy and motivation to keep it going.
But I thoroughly enjoy uninterrupted time (usually with God’s Word) when I am able to rise early.
READ: When Morning Quiet Time Just Doesn’t Happen
While they play
I can sit outside on a nice summer day or sit on the floor and read as my children play together. I’m available to them if they need instruction, discipline, help, or just some mama love.
Alongside
As a homeschooling mama, I am so blessed to learn and grow alongside my children.
The Story of the World has been a real favorite for the whole family (including Husband and myself) and has helped me understand more of our dynamic world history.
I love developing an appreciation for art, classical music, and poetry as I learn alongside my children in our Morning Basket time.
It’s easy to involve kids in exercise. Little ones go in the stroller and bigger kids ride bikes, scooters, or roller blades. Maybe we aren’t educating ourselves with exercise, but it is still an important part of self improvement!
Listen while you work or workout
Audio is so handy to learn from as you scrub floors, fold laundry, wash dishes, prep meals, and exercise. It doesn’t get any easier!
Strategic placement
Like I said, strewing books around the house means there is always something to read when you get the chance.
This tip is especially helpful if you are a nursing mother. Keep books within easy reach and you can always get a couple pages in a few times a day.
Here is my book basket (stocked with prayer journal, Bible, and books I’m reading) located next to our rocker in our living room. You will find me picking up one of these strategically placed books when I sit to rock or nurse the baby.
What are your favorite ways to feed your spirit, mind, and body in the midst of motherhood?
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