Mama & Me 365 (2014 SAHM Journey)

I can’t believe it has been one year since my husband & I decided to keep my 20 month old home. Since then I’ve started "working from home", potty trained my tot in three days and renovated our new home. Moving into 2015, I will make a few adjustments.

1.       Homeschooling: I’m creating a learning schedule that fits my daughter’s learning style. I used more than one method this year. She is very competent as far as letter/number recognition, counting, & reading comprehension. So in 2015, we will move forward in writing letters/numbers, vowel sounds and reading.

2.       Working: I finished our home office! 2014 was a great introduction to opportunities-next year we will move full speed ahead! I am planning my schedule to include more networking hours, blogging conferences and consultant opportunities.

3.       Fitness: I’ve finished our home gym and will start a strict regimen between meetings, homeschooling objectives and standard duties (laundry, cooking & cleaning). This will be my biggest chore but one I hope to maintain with ease.

Now that my daughter is almost three years old, we spend our downtime talking about seasons, investigating new environments and creating new lands of pretend. I’m proud to say that she is speaking in full sentences by using proper grammar and sentence structure.

Things I hope to accomplish as a Mama in 2015:

1.       Provide more structure

2.       Encourage social interactions

3.       Define and practice sharing

4.       Create nontraditional learning opportunities

5.       Become more patient

The transition from ‘working mom’ to ‘working from home mom’ definitely took time. I’d say my style is still that of a juggler. I found that my desire to achieve balance created more stress. So, juggling priorities keeps me sane. What’s important one day, may change the next. If I need to focus on the house for an hour, a project for two and teaching for three, then I plan accordingly. Trying to guarantee each receives the same amount of attention is impossible in my house.

The best part of being home with my daughter for 365 days is learning more about her personality which includes likes & dislikes. I’ve been front row to one of the greatest productions to date. I wouldn’t trade it for anything! I’ve applauded victories, encouraged second chances and motivated her desire for   new adventures.

The mediocre part has been balancing her time with mine. I never want my daughter to think I am unavailable, yet I don’t want her to think I can drop everything when she requests. So, if ever there was an area to improve – this would be it! I’m raising an only child in hopes of teaching values established by a larger family dynamic. SOS!

How do you foster this dynamic with one child?