Homeschool Mom of 3 need encouragment

kdjcella

Hello everyone,

My name is Melissa. I have 3 beautiful kids ages 8,6, and 20 months. I homeschool so they are with me all day. It's hard to find time to workout. Yesterday I worked out during my little ones nap and that worked out great. My oldest daughter really helped me. I don't think I could have finished without her encouragment. Going to the gym is not an option because we are low on money. I have a Jilian dvd I'm working out with. I also have a few weights and a treadmill. Looking for some encouragment to keep going.

Blessings,
Melissa

beckihadfield87

Hey Melissa. It can't be easy for you to make time for yourself with 3 little ones to take care of all day! You can make a positive difference for yourself with the steps that you have taken so far! Monitoring your diet and exercise on here has been a great tool for me and I am sure that you will start to see the rewards of your hard work soon. Don't beat yourself up about what you can't do, but congratulate yourself on what you are doing. Good luck, and I will be here on MFP to support you! x

RumOne

I am a stay at home mom of 4 (16,12,8,5) and I started (last week) with a 1 mile walk. The goal is to work on my time and then the distance. I would think that the treadmill would be a great start (adding incline for legs) Use a chair for core excercise with your weights. Milk Jugs are good for weights as well.

Remember that just doing it is an accomplishment, time and distance will come easier with time

rjasso68

Hi Melissa! uo can do it! I just started with this a few days ago. I love the website. I haven't lost but .2 pounds, but at least I know how much I am eating now with the calorie tracker. I always thought i didn't eat enough, but when you start counting calories, you know that if you are not doing exercise, like in my case, I sit down all day at a computer and do very little walking, then I have to watch how many calories I put in my body, or else I am just going to keep on gaining weight. I am getting married this year, and I want to loose all that weight by then. I have a year to do it! I won't give up.

bck80

that's really all you need, and most important watch you food intake and work with what you have, i know it is know easy but if you want it bad enough it's doable. Welcome aboard !!!

lscott62

You can do this...especially at home!!! I work out at home often and in the mornings early. That might not be an option for you but making sure you take YOU time every day is really important. Remember that if you "make no changes, no changes happen". And even if you only get to do 30 minutes a day then give yourself a pat on the back, its more than nothing at all. One thing I do a lot because of time is short timer drills, or its also known as tabata workouts. Either get a timer or watch the clock (your daughter might be able to help with this! : ) You do something as hard and/or fast as you can for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds and repeat. Do it 8 rounds. Pick another exercise and do another 8 rounds. Its fast and you will be sweating! Things like jumping jacks, squat jumps, squats, run in place fast, skip in place, jump rope. Even doing your weights on timer drills is a good burning technique. Incorporating cardio with weights is a great metabolism burner!! YOU CAN DO THIS GIRL!!!! Good Luck : )

MB_Positif

Sounds like you've got everything you need equipment wise for right now! Your best bet is to continue exercising during the nap time or early in the morning before you start teaching the kids for the day. What about when your husband comes home? Is that an option? The one on one time my husband gets to have with our son is important so I stopped feeling guilty about working out! That said, my life is totally different right now, as my husband and I BOTH lost our jobs in December so we are home and our son is in Kindergarten. So strange! You can add me as a friend if you'd like!

brybre0413

Please add I would love to help with encouragment.

EmilyJ1979

Sounds like you're doing great so far...keep it up!

MaximalLife

Hello everyone,

My name is Melissa. I have 3 beautiful kids ages 8,6, and 20 months. I homeschool so they are with me all day. It's hard to find time to workout. Yesterday I worked out during my little ones nap and that worked out great. My oldest daughter really helped me. I don't think I could have finished without her encouragment. Going to the gym is not an option because we are low on money. I have a Jilian dvd I'm working out with. I also have a few weights and a treadmill. Looking for some encouragment to keep going.

Blessings,
Melissa

You have all the time you need.
You can take 2 minutes out of every hour and do one set of calisthenics. Every day that's a full body workout.
And every day you can take 30 minutes to dance - even including it as part of your homeschooling, encouraging your kids to get moving - cal it Physical Education.

You can do this, and for FREE!
Good luck!

BobbyDaniel

I'm not a home schooler or a mom...but have lots of friends who are and I have the utmost respect for them and what they do; as well as the time it consumes! Sounds like you have a plan to start with, so go with it and make appropriate changes as necessary or whenever possible. The hard part is usually finding time, but we all know that we will make time for what is important to us.
God bless!

oneIT

Homeschool, I hope you make them exercise too. You all can do it. Tell them its a new class and they have to do it! LOL!

JackieLM

Hey... I am a working mom of 4, (10, 8, 6, 8 months)... the only time I can get in a workout is when everyone goes to bed... it's not easy but you have to remind yourself that those kids need you to be healthy so you can be around for them for many many years to come. Hang in there... I do the 30 ds right now with Jillian Michaels and even though it is only 20 min, it is a killer workout. The kids love to go on walks with me too, so that might be an option for you. Check out some of the before/after pics on here, they are very inspiring... I wish I could homeschool...

add me if you want, us moms have to stick together.

noahsarmy

I am a stay at home mom of 3 too ... and I have a daycare in my home as well .... so really hard to find time for traditional workouts.
I do 15 mins in the morning before I get my kids up sometimes Wii fit , sometimes a routine that I got online just something quiet and about 10 mins to get my heart rate up to start the day right.
I dance like a nut for 10 mins with them during our "circle time" or as we call it "crazy dance party time !" (I close the blinds for that part (lol)
I don't sit down when I take them outside ... I play soccer, or hockey with them (were form Canada eh) and really try to put myself in the moment, be the active Mom they deserve.
And my husband does the bath time etc for me while I do a focused video in the evening.
So every moment helps !!
And that makes an hour a day

Not many of us have time ... we just gotta beg, borrow, and steal it
Daily yoga with the kids too is a great way to get fit with your little ones ! Kids love working out more then we do lol ... let them be your personal trainers hehe

countrymom1

Hi Melissa, I'm a homeschool mom, too. I have a 15 year old and a 12 year old. Please feel free to add me. We can give each other a cyber high-five between lessons. haha!

sambustem

I am too a mother of 3 (9, 8 and 15 mths) but I do not homeschool - I work full time and go to school full time. It is EXTREMELY hard to find time to exercise, although I love it. I have found that the kids LOVE to do it with me - plus its a great benefit to them as well! The baby loves going out in his stroller for walks and the older two enjoy walking too. My husband and I did the Insanity program after the baby went to bed and the older 2 enjoyed that too - of course, they just thought it was "fun" and we were DYING!!! Anyway, I would suggest a group effort - like a PE class together. I know here (I live outside of Houston, TX), the local YMCA's have homeschool fitness programs - and I thought that you didn't have to pay - but I could be wrong. Good luck to you!!! And remember even several 10 minute sessions are better than nothing!!

julie20012

Homeschool, I hope you make them exercise too. You all can do it. Tell them its a new class and they have to do it! LOL!

I agree... You could start your own "fitness in the Park Hour" with the children... Not sure where you live, but there must be a park or field near by. You could all walk around the park, run up and down hills etc i see a lady running around the park today with her son in the pushchair.

jenbusick

Hey, Melissa. I'm Jen, and I homeschool my 11-yo and disabled 8-yo; I also work from home. So I hear ya! Here's what has worked for me -- maybe there's something here you could try:

I started exercising regularly when my husband bought a Wii Fit. It's not a very intense workout, but for someone who isn't working out regularly, it's a great place to start. I would do a Wii Fit workout after my kids were in bed each night; I liked the step aerobics and running that could be done while watching some TV.

My family bought me a bike for my birthday. I hadn't asked for it and thought, "now when would I ride a bike?" but my disabled daughter got an adaptive trike (AmTryke) about a year ago, and over the summer she and my older daughter and I actually did a lot of bike riding when the weather was nice. Does your oldest child have a bike? If you get one, too, you could go on rides with her. My 11-yo thinks it's great "mom time" when she and I go for a ride together after supper. There are bike trailers available that the little ones could ride in. It's an investment and also a fair-weather sport, but it's fun.

I took up coaching my 11-yo's basketball team. Turns out I love coaching, and once a week it burns some calories for me (at practices, where I run around a lot with the girls. I also probably burn some calories at the games, just because I really get into them. If I had known I would love coaching this much, I would have started doing it sooner!)

My husband bought an XBox Kinect. *sigh* not my idea to spend that money when we already have a Wii, but the Kinect workouts are better workouts than the Wii workouts, AND my older daughter does them with me (younger daughter can't because of her disability).

I went to a local gym recently and asked about taking a Zumba class while my older daughter was at one of her activities (horseback riding) nearby. Turns out that if you just want to take the fitness classes, it's only $25 a month for an individual membership or you can pay as you go, $5/session, AND that includes on-site childcare for my younger daughter while I'm in the class. I enjoyed doing Zumba so much, and got so much out of it, that I now try to go twice a week, and when my 11-yo is not riding at the barn, she goes with me and loves it, too. She's supposed to be 12 to go to the fitness classes, but she's five-foot-three, and nobody's ever questioned it that she goes with me.

So, I guess what has worked for me are activities I can do while my kids are in bed; activities they can do with me; or activities that provide childcare, like the gym.

Friend me if you like. I've not been diligent about tracking lately but I am trying to do better and we do have something in common with the homeschooling. Either way I wish you the best in your fitness journey and your homeschool journey!

katharos3

Hi Melissa, Welcome to MFP! I am also a homeschool mom of 3 (ages 8, 4, & 2) and it's a challenge for me to workout like I plan. Time management is not a skill that comes easily for me, so I'm always struggling to balance school, taking care of the house, and taking care of myself. It sounds like you're off to a great start! Add me if you'd like, and we can encourage each other.

jenbusick

Oh, I forgot one! Zumba routines are hard for me, but it turns out there are a lot of them on YouTube, and Zumba instructors steal each other's routines a lot, so if you search on YouTube you can find the routines, a lot of the time, and put them on a playlist to do at home. My 11-yo and I practice the routines at home now, streaming YouTube through the XBox to the TV. We're not the worst in the class anymore! And it's free!

kdjcella

Wow, I had no idea I would get so much encouragment. Thank you all so much. I love the P.E idea. They go to P.E every Thursday but love going for walks. Just going to take it one day at a time. I'm only going to weigh once a week. It will be hard, But I CAN DO IT.

Blessings,
Melissa

kdjcella

Oh, I forgot one! Zumba routines are hard for me, but it turns out there are a lot of them on YouTube, and Zumba instructors steal each other's routines a lot, so if you search on YouTube you can find the routines, a lot of the time, and put them on a playlist to do at home. My 11-yo and I practice the routines at home now, streaming YouTube through the XBox to the TV. We're not the worst in the class anymore! And it's free!

Wow, Thanks! Great idea!

EMarvie

Melissa - Wow, I admire you that you have stayed home with your kids and have homeschooled. I have heard so many wonderful things about it. And if you're able to work out while the youngest is napping that can work.
Even if your other kids work out with you. Can be like gym class. Im sure they would have lots of fun with you.
Even dancing around the living room to fun music can be great exercise.
keep it up! you can do this!

E.

padraigin67

My granddaughters 6 & 4 yrs are homeschooled. On the days I have them we go on "nature walks", that way I can exercise and they still get a science lesson. On the cold days we mall walk and call it recess. The point is get in your exercise any way you can. Just moving is a big help. I know how hard it is to balance it all. Good luck:happy:

Thekizzer1958

You might want to include more aerobic activity and have all your kids with you by playing with them outside if you can (depending on the weather). Like kickball with the 8 and 6 yo and having the baby in a stroller so you can keep an eye on him. It will get you going, you get playtime with the children AND they learn by your doing that activity is important to share.

fj211

HI! I homeschool my nine year old. It's tough going with one--can't imagine three. You are my hero. We have been going out everyday and walking our two dogs. The sunshine really lifts my son's attitude.

Is there a significant other that might find be able to give you a half hour of YOU time to work out? My husband is pretty decent about taking my son to the Y on Tuesday and Thursday so I have time to do things for me. It helps.

Natre

I'm just loving all of this encouragement! That's why i love this site.

I am a mom of two pre-teen sons who works full time but not a homeschooler. I do, however, get my kids involved in my exercise. We are doing p90x together. My oldest is a bit overweight and wanted to do something about it, so I got off my @$$ and said we would do it together. Then my husband saw us doing it and wanted to join in; then my youngest, who has no need to lose an ounce, wanted to join the fun and show us all how to do it right. lol! So, every evening we pop in a CD and do it together. They find it fun to show how they can do stuff better than the parents. Perhaps you could make it a class or part of family time with your kids?

I've also been menu planning each week and that has been helpful for me coming home and knowing what i'm going to cook and plotting it in my MPF diary. i got some tips from skinnny mom's kitchen and i'm an organizing junkie off the web. It's been so helpful in my weight loss efforts.

Good luck to you! Add me if you'd like.

jenbusick

Oh, I forgot one! Zumba routines are hard for me, but it turns out there are a lot of them on YouTube, and Zumba instructors steal each other's routines a lot, so if you search on YouTube you can find the routines, a lot of the time, and put them on a playlist to do at home. My 11-yo and I practice the routines at home now, streaming YouTube through the XBox to the TV. We're not the worst in the class anymore! And it's free!

Wow, Thanks! Great idea!

If you're interested, this is the playlist I use at home to practice to. All but 2-3 of these are routines we've done at the gym I go to, I just looked them up and found them online.

I *think* the playlist is public: https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL96F23A8B1125B371

gingerb85

I'm a homeschooling mom of three, but I'm on the opposite end of this road from you - my kids are 24, 17, and 15. I've homeschooled since the eldest was in kindergarten (but he did go to public high school). My girls are doing high school at home - their choice.

I remember those days of having all three little ones with me all the time. It can be challenging. Having them exercise with you is one option. Another option, though, is to exercise without them when your hubby can watch them. As a homeschooling mom, you really need time all to yourself. It helps keep you sane - ask me how I know! I've always been a better mom when I've had a little "me" time. Sometimes it was hard to find the time because of my husband's work schedule, but I have discovered that I really do feel better and have more energy if I get up at 5 (!) and hit the gym at 5:15. I'm a night owl and would have never believed it, but it is true!

_VoV

I'm a homeschooling mom of three, but I'm on the opposite end of this road from you - my kids are 24, 17, and 15. I've homeschooled since the eldest was in kindergarten (but he did go to public high school). My girls are doing high school at home - their choice.

I remember those days of having all three little ones with me all the time. It can be challenging. Having them exercise with you is one option. Another option, though, is to exercise without them when your hubby can watch them. As a homeschooling mom, you really need time all to yourself. It helps keep you sane - ask me how I know! I've always been a better mom when I've had a little "me" time. Sometimes it was hard to find the time because of my husband's work schedule, but I have discovered that I really do feel better and have more energy if I get up at 5 (!) and hit the gym at 5:15. I'm a night owl and would have never believed it, but it is true!

I, too, am aging out of my role as homeschool mom--my kids are 19 and 16. I remember how hard it was to find time to myself. My kids did some homeschooling YMCA programs, and I now kick myself for not joining them in the pool, or using their gym time to go on the treadmill. So, fit it in as best you can, since your health affects your energy level. And homeschooling takes a whole lot of energy

melodyg

Homeschooling a 6 year old here and I can identify. Right now it is just feeling unorganized in life in general though and not just the exercise part of it! My husband is very supportive, so one thing I tried to do when it was not getting dark so early was get out after supper to talk a walk. I got alone time and exercise too! I have to admit I've been totally slacking in exercising lately, but I used to do DVDs as well. I would either get my son to walk along with me or he would play or do some work on the computer while I was walking for 20 minutes or so. I really liked doing Wii exercises too (Wii Fit and Gold's Gym Cardio boxing) and he liked to watch while I did that and sometimes join in.