I already talked about this last week in my Know Your Why post, but I really do notice that this is true. No, getting dressed is not a magic pill to make me an easy going, always patient, never frustrated mom. But I am more likely to respond to conflicts with my children in a positive way if I’m not quietly resenting them because I’m still in my pajamas. When I was working full time outside the home, before I had kids, Saturdays were a time to wear sweatshirts and jeans to just enjoy bumming around the house. Now it’s the opposite. Saturdays are the days when I have the time to get ready and we’re usually out of the house all day running all kinds of errands so I can check things off my list. So how can I produce that kind of energy during the week so that I don’t burn myself out every weekend?
Inspiration I’ve gathered
As much as I hated wearing a uniform to school, studies show that wearing a uniform improves concentration and attitude. So consider getting dressed to be donning the uniform of the day, the way a doctor would getting ready to go into surgery or a lawyer into the court room. You are starting the day off right as you get ready to be mom, wife, household manager and all the other things you do and are. So when I get dressed, I’m setting the stage for a positive, successful day and telling my kids that mommy is ready to do her job. When I stay in my pj’s too long my daughter now asks if I’m feeling OK, and why I’m not dressed yet.
Challenges I’ve pursued
What is the biggest hurdle to my getting dressed in the morning and how can I avoid it? While it doesn’t always work and in certainly won’t work in every season of life, I try to get up before my kids, even if all I do is wash my face, brush my teeth and do my hair. They can wait a couple of minutes, even if it requires fussing, while I do that. I’ve also found that laying my clothes out the night before can help so I don’t have to think about what to wear. I suggest reading The No Brainer Wardrobe, which will help you to build a simple capsule wardrobe so that getting dressed will be easy but exciting.
Suggested Additional Challenges: Make your kids part of the challenge. Make it a game where you all get dressed together, perhaps even a race. This helps teach them valuable life skills and helps keep you motivated as well.
Next – Frumps to Pumps: Prophesy Hope Through Accountability
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