Hey Bestie!
I know, the title is a wild one but hear me out before you exit my post! (haha) Waking up before your kids is the real cheat code to life. The thought of it can be a bit overwhelming especially if you have an early riser BUT having a moment of absolute silence to take care of yourself is the cheat code you need to have better days while at home with your kids (weekends included).
Think about it, from the second your kids wake up the day is all about them. Feeding them, playing with them, taking them to their activities, helping them process all of their little emotions, changing their diapers, cleaning up their toys, trying to figure out if they want to drink out of the green cup or the orange cup…its all a lot!!!! And if you’re already starting on empty, by the time they get to their tantrum, of the morning…it’s more than likely that you want to cry along with them because you started with nothing and now your emotional reserves are in the trash.
BUT waking up even just an hour before your kids can really help you fill your cup so that you can be fully present with your kids each day without feeling like you’re getting left out of the equation.
Now, this will require a little work on your part…starting with making sure you go to bed at a reasonable hour and spending less time scrolling during the day and more time completing your household tasks. But once your figure out a schedule and method that works for you the waking up early and going to bed on time pieces should get a little easier.
So now for the good part…the entire first hour (or more if you choose) of the day is yours to do WHATEVER you want. Drink your coffee in peace, workout, read a book, read your Bible, meditate, stare at the wall….literally whatever you want to do is up to you and you get to do it uninterrupted!
I like to wake up an hour and a half to 2 hours before the boys wake up. If I can start my day with a workout, breakfast, and doing a load of laundry up, my cup is full.
And if for some reason I can’t wake up early (I’m sick, the boys didn’t sleep well, I had to work late etc.) I make sure to add in this “me time” at the end of the day…and I do NOT compromise on it no matter how I feel. On nights where Ive had to stay up late to get work done for my online store and woke up later in the morning, I make sure I get my workout in after the boys go to bed. Even when I’m tired and don’t feel like it, I hold that space for myself because I deserve to have a moment to myself each day…even if it’s at the end of the day.
XO, Elle
