Working-Mom Montessori: Shifting the Clock: This is Painful!

I never quite this post finished - because the title of this post is SO true!

I am naturally a night-owl - I do my best work in the evening hours after most people should be in bed and the world is quiet. I like to use my daytimes for being active and social.

I can sleep 4-7 hours a night (going to bed at midnight or 3 am), with a half-hour cat nap in mid-afternoon and life is wonderful. Get me up before the sun though - and life ain't so pretty.


I spent the first week SO incredibly fatigued all - day - long. I didn't know how I would get through the whole month. Turns out, a touch of almond oil infused with peppermint oil on each temple and real peppermint oil chapstick (coconut oil with aloe vera and peppermint oil) were all I needed to get rid of the fatigue-headache and help me re-set the sleep/wake rhythm for the time being. NIC!


The children and staff I have worked with this past month have been wonderful - I have offered my services to continue being the main sub for this particular classroom the rest of the year as needed. But hitting the brick wall of fatigue at 7:30 at night is SO not cool.

The nice thing is - I am so incredibly tired, I'm in bed by 9 every night, and am awake shortly before the 6 am alarm to be on the road by 6:30. I have all prepped the night before so mornings are VERY streamlined, involving VERY little (any?) thinking process at all.

This all means, I am sleeping far more than I usually do - and despite all of that, I ended up sick ALL MONTH.

I am fighting against my own natural rhythm and I am surrounded by germs I'm not yet accustomed to. I have had a drink with me that varies by the week: peppermint tea, warm lemonade, or plain water (each option with honey, echinacea, and maple syrup). I spent one week eating almost nothing but garlic to get rid of a painful sinus infection. While all my remedies/precautions helped, they didn't stop everything from hitting me - but they certainly helped me stay on task with the needed energy and focus. I have enjoyed each of the 4 snow days received during the month (ending up in bed, sleeping off illness each time!).

CAVEAT: When I say "past month", I mean to say "January". It turns out I added an additional (almost) full week (one more ice/snow day off - spent at home catching up on all sorts of little things - like washing 4 1/2 weeks worth of laundry. By hand.) of subbing.


In the end, I love every moment of teaching; and I will love every moment of being home again on my own schedule.