Asalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu my dear Mamas,

I hope you are all having an enjoyable weekend.  I’ve intended to write this post for some time and asked on Instagram if you would be interested in reading it, to which several of you replied “Yes!”.  And like one sister pointed out, the struggle of finding time to enjoy our time is an issue Mamas in general face so much needed!

Before I start, let me explain the reasons as to why I personally made some changes and why the weekend wasn’t working for me.  See, I’d trained myself to see the weekend as a break up of two things.  The first day was the ‘I’m not lifting a finger at all and the second was ‘Oh my gosh, it’s time to get my house back in order’ day.  Which meant I’d be deep cleaning all day, spending little time with my family: stressing myself out before the new week had even started.  And then homeschool planning after all the cleaning and cooking wasn’t exactly what I looked forward to either, especially if I just realised that I didn’t have the supplies I need!

So, I made some changes.  which have helped me regain that balance I was craving, alhamdulillah, and I hope they help you too.

1) Change the view you view your week.  

Mindset is a powerful thing, and the way we perceive something directly impacts our behaviour.  Like I mentioned before, the way I broke down my week in my mind was usually comprised of something like this.

• busy homeschool week x 5.
• day off where I don’t even want to think.
• and finally, the day to get everything back in order i.e Mama doesn’t sit down today.

Admittedly, I’dd adopted a very rigid way of looking at my days.  Where I’d spend 5 days looking forward to my ‘day off and 6 days dreading my ‘back to order’ day. And I remember reading this quote that summed up how I was feeling.

“We waste so many days waiting for the weekend.  So many nights wanting morning.
Our lust for future comfort is the biggest thief of life.”

So, I try not to view homeschool days as just ‘busy’.  Because even though they are hectic, they are also the most rewarding.  And I remind myself, the opportunity to educate my children myself in today’s world is a blessing not a burden, allahuma barik.  And homeschooling is a lifestyle, not something to be ticked off.  So being present, enjoying the moment ensures it remains joyful.

And no longer do I feel obliged to feel bound to lesson plans and cooking meals all day long.  I take time to pause regularly, so I don’t need to look forward to one day of the week to ‘wind down’ because I already do it every day.  Resting WITH and alongside my family is important.

2) Plan your week at the end of the weekday, not the weekend.

Rather than pull out your planner and panic the night before school starts, try and plan the next week just as the current week is finishing.  Whilst the kids are wrapping up, grab a cup of coffee and just spend half an hour or so planning out your week.  It’s much easier since you’re already in the ‘teaching mode’ and it gives you time to grab any supplies you’re missing over the weekend.  And you’ve just freed up a weekend slot, yay!

3) Batch Cook meals

Whether it’s doubling up dinners, making freezer breakfast or cooking the bulk of your meals all in one go, batch cooking is a HUGE help for us mothers. It’s one less thing to have to think of daily, lessens cleaning up time and opens up slots in the week for other things To get started on batch cooking and free up time, click here.

4) Climb the laundry mountain daily

A load a day helps to keep the mountain small!  And don’t wait until the night before school to get all the bedding and towels washed either.  Take some time during the week to get the extra laundry on.  The point is not to wait till the night before to get everything done, space things out over the week.  It will help keep your sanity and things will still get done!  

5) Freezer breakfasts

Back to the cooking (it really makes a difference!), if you’re looking to ease into weekly cooking, start off by batch cooking breakfasts. Mornings tend to be busy, and if you’ve cleaned up the night before its nice to be able to enjoy that a little and that’s where some pre-cooked breakfasts come to the rescue  You can enjoy your breakfast without the mess, and start your day feeling more relaxed rather than the dreaded panic of ‘what do I cook!’. I’ve created a whole guide on how to batch cook, store food, plus a bunch of easy recipes including breakfasts you can find here.

So there you have it; a few tips to keep your week balanced, both the start and the end.  I have some more but this post is already getting quite long so let me know if you’d like to read part two.  And share any tips you may have below!