I ran this post a few years ago and thought I’d run it again. I was inspired to repost it by a question posted on Facebook by our state homeschool group, NCHE. Their question was ” Do you get up and get dressed and ready first thing in the morning, or do you wear more “lounge-y” clothes during the day?” It was inspired by a post from Raising Arrows. She has a great post! You should check it out!
Did you ever think you’d hear the words fashion and homeschool put together? Probably not! And you’re probably laughing about now. But, just because we’re homeschoolers doesn’t mean that we have to give up looking great. Stop laughing, I mean it….ok, you can giggle!
I did a test this year with myself and I didn’t even tell anyone about it. I wanted to see how I felt and how my day went on days when I got up and dressed in a sloppy t-shirt (you know the one, it’s not ruined, just really comfy!) and jeans (which I love!), versus and nice shirt (the one you wear out in public), jeans, make-up and fixed my hair (and not just a ponytail).
Want to know how it turned out? The days where I dressed in an old worn-out t-shirt and jeans with no makeup were pretty typical days. Actually, they were some of my most stressed days. But, the days I got up and dressed like I was going to work (ok, maybe a preppy casual job and it was Casual Friday) was a world of difference. I didn’t dress to the nine’s, but I felt like I looked nice. I felt professional, and like I was reporting to work and isn’t that what I’m doing? Only my job is so great and I really love the hours! Ok, I also felt a little like a “Desperate Housewife”, but I don’t have their expense account for shopping. And no, I wasn’t wearing pearls and heels either. Just my flip-flops or tennis shoes. But, it made a huge change to my day.
I noticed I wasn’t as rushed in the afternoons when trying to go to practices for sports. I felt more pulled together throughout the day. I suddenly found myself feeling a little more organized. I even felt a little more relaxed during school. Maybe it was because I wasn’t worried about having to stop everything to get ready later for basketball practice. Now, don’t get the idea that this was a magic pair of jeans that I was wearing. There were still those days…..but on the average, they were fewer between. I just felt better about myself. And that’s an important thing for a homeschooling mom. We are with our kids all the time and they see all of our moods, our attitudes and so forth. They absorb it like a sponge, even teenagers. So, even how I dress for school can say a lot about my feelings towards our school, them and how I feel about myself. And that may reflect in our school and in how they think about themselves.
Whatever the reason, just because we’re at home doesn’t mean we have to be frumpy. OMG! Did I just use the word frumpy? Yes, I did! But, you don’t have to dress like a Stepford wife either. And yes, your kids will ask you when you’re fixing your hair and putting on your make-up, “Where are we going today?” And you’ll reply, “To school.” They will probably wrinkle their little noses or roll their eyes if they’re teenagers and ask you why you’re getting ready and you can tell them, you want to look nice for them, your hubby and for yourself. Try it and see for yourself! Yes, you’ll have to get up a few minutes earlier. But, you’re worth it!
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