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Every year, I choose a word of the year to focus my life around and this year, my word is INTENTION. How I am parenting my little babes TODAY is shaping who they will be as adults and it’s shaping their little internal voice. So, being more intentionally present, patient and graceful is the most important thing I can do for myself as a mama and wife.
For me, it all starts with self-care. As a mom that stays at home with two toddlers (insert: WILD), and also works from home, having time in the morning to myself helps me set my tone for the day. I never used to love getting up in the mornings, but there’s just something about getting that peace and quiet that I crave now 🙂
For a long time, I felt that self-care was selfish and impossible because I didn’t have any free time, or so I thought. But, self-care doesn’t mean you need to go to a spa for several hours. It means that you are focusing on yourself, INTENTIONALLY, doing something that helps you relax and brings you JOY … before the chaos from motherhood begins.
Try and do something just for YOU before you begin your day. For me, that is establishing a morning routine. I’m sharing my 3 best tips for getting through the morning relaxed and start your day off intentionally with more presence, patience and grace.
#1 GET UP BEFORE THE REST OF YOUR HOUSE
Even though the thought of getting up at 5:00am sounds completely daunting to me every night before my head hits the bed, I 100% feel that I am a better mom by putting myself first and sitting in a quiet place before the rest of my house awakes.
My mom always did this when my siblings and I were growing up. She still gets up early to this day. I never understood why she would ever get up so early … until I had kids of my own. Whether it is 10 minutes just to get dressed in peace and quiet or you get up an hour or two earlier to take time to focus on what lies ahead in your day, you will find so much value in getting up before your children (and hubby) do.
On a good (and usually regular) day, my boys, ages 2 and 4, get up at 7:00 am and my alarm goes off at 5:15 am. My time to myself to sit on the sofa with my cozy blanket curled up with a cup of coffee usually starts at 5:20 am and ends at 7:00 am. It gives me some time to make a cup of coffee, open my devotional and bible, drink my *hot* coffee without having to break up fights while my toddlers argue over who has the coolest hot wheels car at the table.
During this time, I start my morning with Scripture, I pull out a personal development book and a few pages or a chapter. After that, I open my laptop and clear out my emails and respond back to design clients, source furniture and accessories, and check off any other items on my to-do list before pre-school drop off. When my children do wake up, I can greet them with a smile and be INTENTIONAL with devoting 100% of my attention to THEM. I had no idea I needed this time to myself until I didn’t have time to myself anymore. When you have kids, and you stay home with them, there typically isn’t a single minute that you have to yourself. So, creating this time helps me feel more myself, rather than just a mama. Here’s what we use to keep them in their room until 7:00am.
#2 GET DRESSED
This seems pretty obvious, but if you’re a stay at home mom like me, it helps to get ready for the day. There’s just something about being dressed for the day (with or without makeup) that helps me feel a little more put together and productive, even if we aren’t leaving the house. After the boys wake up, I set them up at the kitchen table with an activity, called Morning Movement. This is usually an activity that I set up the night before that they can do independently (or at least my 4 year old can help guide my 2 year old) or something they can build (together or separately at the table). This gets their little minds and bodies moving before THEY begin THEIR day. While they do these activities, I am able to do a quick 20-30 minute workout in the playroom or living room or I can go get dressed before I begin making breakfast and packing my 4 year old’s pre-school bag. You can check out some activities below I do with the kids in the morning to keep them occupied while I take a few more minutes to myself.
Check out my favorite activities that have inspired our Morning Movement
#3 WRITE DOWN YOUR MOST IMPORTANT TO-DO’S FOR THE DAY
Prioritizing the rest of your day on paper is easier said than done with toddlers. But the feeling that comes with checking that box on your list, makes me feel so accomplished, even if I spent the whole day breaking up toddler fights.
Start small – try writing down 3 of your most important to-do’s. Sometimes, they are as simple as making the bed, finishing a few loads of laundry, or writing a blog post, but writing these down really helps them get done.
Taking this INTENTIONAL time to myself each morning helps me to fill my soul before my day really gets started with the rest of my house. It helps me get in the right mindset to balance my stay at home/work from home mom day with more grace and patience.
When you focus on yourself, you start connecting with yourself, you start listening to your intuition more and this helps you to be a good mom – a more calm and patient mom, a mom that guides their children in a loving way.
You might fall off the wagon one day, and that’s okay, what matters is that you pick yourself back up and keep on going. Being INTENTIONAL about creating a morning routine and caring for yourself as a mom, really will make a difference in your life, the more you do it!
Snag your own FREE daily planning template to help you be more intentional about your day. Tag me in your IG stories @kristenmyersco and show me how you use yours!