Montessori Elementary Homeschool Blog - with documentation of our infant Montessori, toddler Montessori, and primary Montessori experiences; as well as preparation for the upcoming adolescent Montessori homeschool years.

Monday, February 10, 2014

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.


5 comments:

  1. Goodness, so sorry to hear that you were feeling so under the weather the entire time you were teaching! I love to hear of your natural remedies...some of those were the same things my mom gave me growing up. Ginger tea with honey (just a knob boiled in some water) was always my favorite for a cold.
    Also, now, whenever I feel a cold coming on, I mix 1T of apple cider vinegar (a quality brand) with 1C warm water and drink it down. It really takes that scratchy throat away.

    Good to have you back in the swing of things.

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    1. Abby,

      Thank you! I add ginger to things too - but for some reason I don't like it in drinks. Go figure ;)

      I did do the ACV a few days. EWWW!!!! I got the "good stuff" with floaties and all. I think that is what finally eradicated the sinus infection - I am under the impression I had it ALL (bacteria, viral AND fungal). Ew.

      But that's reality being in a new school the first time, day in and day out - whether daycare, school, or other venue. The first 6 weeks the new person (whether child or adult) tends to be more sick until everyone is acclimated to the germ pool. Yick.

      :)

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  2. Yikes :/ I knew it would be hard, but that sounds even harder than I could have imagined. I don' t know how you had the guts to take that position. Those kids were lucky to have you and your son is lucky to have you back full-time :)

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  3. MBT,

    I love teaching - I just love doing it on my own schedule more ;) If the children came to my home and I could literally roll out of bed 10 minutes before they all arrived, I'd be in heaven. I lived that life for a while - and I look forward to doing it again. I just need a house to rent or buy (limited options there!) - and I want to stay in the area where we live now. Pray for me!

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  4. Wow, you are super woman! I admire you. :) Prayers going your way!

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