5 Things to do Now That The Kids Are Back in School

So the kids are back to school, now what? If you are anything like me you are smiling from ear to ear at the possibilities. I have lost myself this summer, been over touched and over asked. I have had to take way too many timeouts myself, so that I could regroup and go on with my required tasks. I would like to share 5 things that you could do to fill your new found “free time”.

1. Join the gym-I know it may seem like an expensive and scary commitment, but it could be just the thing you need to relax and get yourself feeling good. Joining a gym does not need to be scary, you could do some research, ask around in your circle of friends or other parents in the school yard/park and see if they have any that they recommend or better yet, go to. You could gain a workout buddy and a new friend at the same time. If you are interested in doing classes rather than weights make sure you look for a gym that holds may different classes at many different times, this flexibility may be what keeps you committed to getting healthy. Also, if you are strapped for money you could join your local YMCA and get a family membership. There is a couple of forms you need to fill out but they will allow you to pay what you can afford. When I was in school we were able to pay $35/month for a family of 4. This included all of the kids classes (soccer, swimming, and drop-in) and the gym memberships for us parents.
2. Join a hobby class-Maybe you have always wanted to learn to sew or learn Tai-Chi? Maybe you wanted to learn how to use Excel or learn to do your own taxes. Now is the time to sign up at your local community centre. These classes usually run once a week and the cost is also pretty low. I want to learn how to do Latin dancing but my husband refuses to be my partner, and I don’t feel like getting my sexy dance on with a stranger.
3. Clean your home-Some time in mid-July I gave up on my dreams of a spotless house and settled for tidy. This meant that odds and ends got stuffed into drawers, everything I wanted to hide went into my basement, and my shed has become a small dump. Well now is the time to get back control of your home. Start small, I recommend doing one room a day and preferably starting at the top most floor of your home. I was lucky that my husband has cleaned up the backyard and the basement for me because I have long given up on them and I think he noticed. This has given me renewed hope that I can conquer the mess that is happening. I took 22 boxes of toys from 2 bedrooms today and placed them in their new home, the basement/playroom. Not only has this made the top floor look completely de-cluttered it is also going to help me in the future when I just have to do a quick tidy of the kids rooms instead of spending hours in each room. I find when my home is cluttered my mind is cluttered so hopefully in a weeks time I can actually sit down and start scheduling my life again.
4. Catch up on missed appointments-This is a biggie. I gave up trying to go to the doctor and dentist during the summer holidays because trying to get 3 kids to stay quiet and occupied for hours at a time is nearly impossible. I have spent the whole first week of school in the doctors and dentists office taking care of myself, finally. If you are long overdue for a facial or a manicure, go do it!
5. Do nothing-And when I say do nothing, I mean do nothing that you would tell your husband about when he came home from work. Take a 3 hour nap (you deserve it) or finish reading that book that is only 300 pages and has been sitting on your nightstand collecting dust, you can do it. Sit down in front of on-demand television and watch a TV series from begining to end, who cares.

Now that it is September and the routine of school is (hopefully) in full swing, it is time to focus on yourself and do what you want to do. Is their anything that you have put off doing this summer because it has been impossible with the kids around? I  would love to know what has been put on the back burner in other house holds (mostly to not feel so bad about doing no major cleaning this summer 🙂 ).