Your day is busy, right? You’re cleaning, playing with the children, and making so many different lunch and dinners that it just leads to more cleaning.
Stay at home mom life is hard. It’s hard work that it is stereotyped into being known as the easy way out.
But, with all of the day to day family action you have going on, what do you have going on for you? Yes, YOU, mom. What are you doing to continue your education in the household?
Teachers and other corporate professionals have annual, if not quarterly professional development, also known as PD. As moms, we should too. Our PD’s brilliant piece is not that we have to continually learn about updated tax laws or different discipline styles from the classroom. We can learn it all!
There’s an incredible piano teacher in town who chooses a different topic each year to analyze and study, just for fun. One year she studied and gathered information about children with dyslexia and how they learn to adapt those skills into her classes through music. This comes from a working mom, but we stay at home moms should not be any different.
What is it that you’ve always wanted to do, try, or learn more about? It isn’t far away. It is no longer an intangible option. It’s at your fingertips. The list of excuses that you once had when you went to that 9-5 job is gone. You’re with your kids all. Day. Long. When the husband gets home, he has the attention of you and the family every evening. So what are you waiting for? Make time for your personal and creative side.
Get out there and take a piano lesson, learn to play golf, and discover sewing. These can be short- or long-term goals that are exhibited weekly or monthly, but do something for you.
I dare say take it a step further. What about daily? Yes, daily. Each day, what are you doing for you to educate yourself 1% more than the day before?
From personal experience, I’m loving MasterClass. I’m not finishing an entire class a day, but I watch and learn a little bit each day. I’m forcing myself to pause the kitchen and floor duties, and keep my brain cells alive and well. I’m also not allowing myself to think of it as a waste of time. My mental health is valuable, and therefore, I must pause and take 30 minutes a day to read a book or discover a piece of history that I long ago left in the 4th-grade history classroom.
As we age, our brains change the rate of plasticity, which is why your stay-at-home professional development is imperative to your well being. We want what’s best for our kids, and we need to remember that we are part of that scenario. Our children want a mom who is alive and well for many years to come.
I challenge you to dedicate a little time each day, whether it is getting up earlier, purchasing AirPods to listen to your favorite podcast or book, or staying up a little later to ensure that you continue your professional development. Learn something new every day, and watch how it makes experiencing life a lovely task.
Don’t forget that you’re never too old to learn something new. What’s your first task of PD training? Tell me about it in the comments below.
