Katelynne's Mom Life_ Real Moms Interview Series

Katelynne’s Mom Life: Real Mom Interview Series

March 9, 2019 Kristin, Exploring Domesticity

Hey moms! Find all sorts of useful tips and parenting hacks from other moms just like you. The Mom Life: Real Moms Interview Series is a place to get support and advice from people who have been there… or are there. Today we’re hearing about Katelynne’s Mom Life.

Katelynne is a homeschooling mom of four. She has some wonderful advice for family time, trusting yourself as a mom, and raising respectful and polite kiddos.

Katelynne's Mom Life - Real Moms Interview Series - advice from a homeschooling mom of four on family time, raising respectful kids, and doing what is right for your family.

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I love hearing advice from other moms. Learning tips from moms who are rocking motherhood is so inspiring to me! Moms who have tips for easy weeknight meals, creating family moments, cleaning hacks, money saving, family travel, and just Mom Life in general.

Katelynne is a homeschooling mom of four! I love her views on family and parenting. You can find her over at The Disguised Supermom.

Katelynne’s Mom Life

Tell us about your family

Hello! I’m Katelynne and I live in CT with my hubs and 4 little ones. The hubs and I met in high school and have been married for 8 years. We have a 7 year-old daughter and 3 sons – 4, 2 and 5 months! I am primarily a stay at home, homeschooling mom. I am also a freelance writer and run the blog The Disguised Supermom, which provides solutions and encouragement for women who are wives, mothers and homemakers.

As a mom, what is the best part of your day?

Mornings are usually the best part of my day. Because we homeschool, there is no rush to get up and ready in the mornings, which affords us the luxury of slow mornings. This works so well for the personalities of my kids and I love that first hour or so in the morning when everyone sleepily stumbles downstairs, has breakfast together and then falls down the rabbit hole of some imaginative game. Besides helping with their breakfasts, I usually just sit back with my coffee and watch – I love seeing them all get along and where their imaginations will take them.

Katelynne's Mom Life - advice from a homeschooling mom of four — *photo courtesy of Katelynne, The Disguised Supermom*

3 Words that describe your parenting style?

Crunchy, strict, and traditional

What is a parenting rule you never break?

Manners is probably the one thing I am most strict about. I have zero tolerance for anything less than polite, kind and respectful children. I am realistic about the ages of my kids and what they are capable of but I think we tend to underestimate their abilities. Kids are very capable of having manners and being polite from a very young age, the biggest factor is whether we are leading by example.

What is a parenting rule you always break?

Some would say I break all the rules! The biggest “rule” I have broken is the idea that kids are supposed to be in school all-day, 5 days a week. Personally, it seems like we ask too much of our kids when they are too young. I’m very fortunate that we are in a position that allows me to stay home with them and at least for now teach them at home.

Also read: Learning through Play: Tips for Parents

How do you prioritize family-time and me-time?

My kids are still young so family-time is pretty easy to prioritize. We try to eat dinner together at least 5 nights a week, usually have at least 1 movie night a week and are constantly playing board games. My hope is that by making this the expectation when they’re young, it will be easier to keep as a priority as they get older and everyone is busier.

Me-time is something that I’m not good with prioritizing but I’m working on it! I’m realizing that taking time for myself makes me a better person all around – with my hubs, with the kids, as a teacher. I try to get up a little earlier than everyone else because the introvert is much happier when I can start my day quietly. I have also been prioritizing exercising and sneaking out of the house to write a few times per week.

Katelynne's Mom Life - making family time a priority — *photo courtesy of Katelynne, The Disguised Supermom*

What is your go-to, easy weeknight meal?

Having a crock pot is a lifesaver for busy moms! Other than that, breakfast for dinner is our last- minute go-to dinners – scrambled eggs, pancakes and bacon or sausage. Everyone is a happy camper!

What is your favorite family activity?

Game night! The hubs and I have always loved board games and that has trickled down to our kids as well. One of our favorite ways to spend an afternoon or evening is all together playing games. We have built up a large collection of games so there is something for everyone and every mood. Some of our favorites are Ticket to Ride and Silly Street.

What advice would you give new moms?

Trust yourself. The biggest change I see in myself as a mom of 4 compared to a new mom is my confidence and the faster you can trust that maternal instinct, the more confident you will feel. There is no one that knows your children better than you and that gives you an amazing ability to understand them and their needs. Trust yourself to make the choices that are best for your family, even if it seems like you are always going against the grain of what society tells you is best.

Katelynne's Mom Life - trusting yourself as a mom — *photo courtesy or Katelynne, The Disguised Supermom*

Do you have any tips for staying on top of household chores?

My advice for staying on top of household chores would be to come up with a weekly cleaning schedule. I have found that tackling a few chores each day is much more manageable than trying to clean everything one day a week. Staying on top of the laundry is also a must for me. I try to do at least 1 load a day because if it starts to pile up, so does my anxiety!

Family Travel: What is your favorite spot or family travel memory?

Road trips! This past summer we spent almost a month on the road traveling up and down the East Coast and it was such an amazing experience. Taking a road trip with little ones definitely requires planning and some creativity but not only is it possible, I cannot recommend it enough!