Awesome Adulting: Be The Inspiration You Want For Your Children

Be the kind of adult that makes adulthood look awesome. ~ Julie Bogart, Brave Writer

Have you ever wondered why your kids act a certain way or believe in a certain idea? Could it be because they see those actions or beliefs in you, the parent?

We all know that children imitate what they see. But as homeschool moms, we have a tendency to devote our entire lives to our children. We sometimes forget about ourselves and become extensions of our children. Then what happens when we’re no longer homeschooling mommas?

• Do we have interests that we want to pursue?
• Have we shown our children what it means to live a life that is full of experiences?
• Are we inspiring them to become the adults we want them to become?
• Or have we somehow, accidentally instilled in them the belief that adulthood is boring, stressful and unsatisfying?

My First Foray into Awesome Adulting

My first foray into the world of Awesome Adulting came quite by accident. Many years ago when my firstborn turned one, I decided I would make his birthday cake. It wasn’t anything elaborate; just a Winnie the Pooh cake pan and a boxed cake.

I spent THREE solid hours piping yellow stars on that cake. I nearly missed the party because of it. I had no earthly idea what I was doing, but I was proud of that cake. It meant I was more than just a baby feeding, diaper changing, spit-up wiping, house cleaning mom. I had value beyond being a stay-at-home mom. From that point, I realized I needed something in my life that was just about me. I could never fully explain it to my husband. I needed to feel proud of something. Something I was good at. Something that set me apart.

That was the first of many different quests to find something I enjoyed just for me. They ranged from CFO to cupcake bakery owner to high school teacher. Once, someone asked me how I could take time away from my kids to own a bakery. I looked her straight in the eye and told her that I was showing my daughters how to reach for their dreams. Even if they failed in their pursuits, they would never fail from the experiences they had gained.

Why Awesome Adulting is Essential for Homeschool Moms

I first came across the idea of Awesome Adulting while watching a Periscope by Julie Bogart entitled Awesome Adulthood! What is it? How can you get it? In the video Julie says,

Your children deserve a life that has surprise, mystery, risk and adventure. We want our chidren to feel like the experience of learning is deeply satisfying and advancing them to this eventual destination called adulthood.

What mom doesn’t want her child to have a life full of “surprise, mystery, risk, and adventure”? In essence, we want them to be happy.

As homeschool moms, we take that one step further, and we want them to love learning. We are lovingly, exhaustingly, desperately trying to prepare them for adulthood. Sometimes that is setting a positive example, but more often than not we are illustrating a life of stress and chaos. What would happen if we suddenly stopped our everyday, mundane behaviors of cleaning the house, dressing, feeding and chaperoning kids and did something that we can be proud of?

The Key to Awesome Adulting

When I opened the bakery, all of the joy I had for creating something beautiful was slowly sucked away. People were demanding things to be exactly like they wanted them. It was hard to feel free to be creative. I was so busy that I was making several cakes a week on top of the regular cupcake bakery. It eventually depleted me. I wanted to get back to enjoying what I was doing and making people smile.

The key to Awesome Adulting is to enjoy what you are doing. Don’t make it a job. It needs to be something that makes you happy and proud and lets your creativity shine. It should be something that gives you a desire to learn and that you find “deeply satisfying.”

Take 10-15 minutes to yourself (I enjoy Nutella in my closet) and think of something that is only for you. Something that you put off doing until the kids are in bed, the dishes are washed, the clothes are folded. What do you enjoy that makes you feel proud of yourself? What talents do you have that make people smile? Start carving out time in your day to practice your Awesome Adulting and make sure your kids see you do it. Be obvious in your pursuit of fulfilling your life’s dreams – even if they are only dreams in your eyes. All dreams are important to pursue.

Why Do We Need Awesome Adults?

Adults, kids, all of us need to have a creative outlet–even if we’re not good at it in the world’s eyes. We need to feel creative like we are bringing something beautiful or enchanting into the world and kids need to see parents live out their dreams, even if they aren’t world-altering dreams. They need to see their parents happy and fulfilled.

Cake artistry, party planning, blogging… these are all ways that make me feel fulfilled. Don’t get me wrong. I have a fantastic family that I love and are very supportive. These aren’t things I must have in my life, but they are things that give me a sense of purpose that is just for me – beyond being a wife and mom. It gives me an identity separate from everything else. Something that is my own. Something that makes me feel like an awesome adult.

How are you inspiring your kids to become Awesome Adults? Subscribe below and join me on my journey to be an awesome adult.

Dachelle

Hi, I’m Dachelle. I’m a homeschooling mom of 3 in the South. I love chocolate and have been known to hide it from my children. I can often be found reading a good book (or even sometimes just an okay book) and enjoying a jar of Nutella — don’t judge. I blog, here, at HideTheChocolate.com when I’m not creating book clubs and making lists…lots and lots of lists (it’s an addiction). Learn more…

www.hidethechocolate.com