Parenting - How can I get some alone time?

The book Five Minutes' Peaceby Jill Murphy really paints a good picture of a mom's alone time. Alone time and parenting just do not go hand-in-hand. Add homeschooling to the mix and there's not even time left to think. My estimate is that 70% of alone time is lost the moment the first child is born. 80% is gone when the second one arrives. 85% is out with the birth of child number three. Travel into the future a few years and add homeschooling to the mix and alone time is holding steady at 85%-90% of the alone time available before children.

So how do parents deal with the lack of personal time? Here's how I do it.

I sneak in as much alone time as I can and use it wisely.

My first priority when it comes to alone time is exercise. For me that currently includes running and yoga. Last year it included dancing and aerobics. One hour per day of physical activity goes a long way to clearing the mind and relieving stress. When I run I often organize my to-do list in my head. I figure out what we will be doing during the day or week and get excited about things I want to show the kids. If one hour isn't available, 30 minutes still can work wonders.

Blogging, cooking, cleaning, laundry, marketing my card game Speed!, planning school lessons, and taking the kids to sports and music fill the rest of my alone time.

Although it is busy, it is the life I have chosen. Before having three kids I used to be an engineer working 40 hours per week. At night I watched television. I'm not sure, but I don't think our television works. It hasn't been turned on in over a year. Now that I'm an educator, I work many more hours than 40.

So does my husband. He cooks and cleans too. That's how I'm able to get as much alone time as I do. Early in the morning and late at night when the kids are in bed I exercise and plan school lessons. Usually I can sneak in 15 minutes during the day to check my email.

On my birthday several years ago my husband asked me what I wanted and I told him I wanted to be alone. He took the kids to the aquarium and we all had a wonderful day. Before they came home I felt caught-up, refreshed and was starting to miss them. This lifestyle definitely isn't for everyone, but I enjoy it most of the time.

Now it's time to see how much alone time the other four bloggers in the Homeschool Help series get.

Does your alone time extend beyond your daily shower?
Savannah at Hammock Tracks

Do we need alone time?
Chareen at Every Bed of Roses

Leave Me Alone
Hwee at The Tiger Chronicle

Schedule Alone Minutes into the Day
Bernadette at Barefoot Hippie Girl

To read about the other topics in this series please visit our Resource Page.

This post is linked to 
Tuesday Tots
Living and Learning at Home
Sun Scholars