To Get Dressed or Not – Homeschooling in Your Pajamas

Do you get dressed for homeschool success or do you homeschool in pajamas?

This is an age-old question that can ruffle many feathers. My intention here is not to ruffle feathers but to… whom am I kidding?! I will inevitably ruffle some feathers. However, that is totally OK.

Whether you get groomed to homeschool or homeschool in pajamas, one fact remains – in homeschooling, we have the freedom to do either. So rock on homeschool mom, grab some coffee, and explore this debate with me.

I do have experience homeschooling with pajamas as well as being groomed, therefore I can expound on it somewhat.

There was a time in my life when my marriage was REALLY rocky. Things were tough, and I remember it in a haze.

One of my friends recalls me barely getting out of my pajamas, and when I did go out, I wasn’t in anything but sweats and a t-shirt. Sometimes we go through these periods in life where it seems fuzzy. You may be down, really busy or going through “it.”

Now that God has healed my marriage and things are better, I remember that haze being so much more than not wanting to get out of my PJs. I remember not wanting to do anything aside from duties that will keep the house surviving.

Unfortunately, surviving didn’t include me fixing myself up for anything — let alone homeschool.

What I have concluded is that it is all about mindset. Before I explain, I would like to explore the P.J. verses Groomed homeschooling a little further. There are of course benefits to both — if you think about it.

Pajama homeschooling benefits:

1. I am pretty sure that kids would much rather do their school in PJs than having to get ready every day.
2. It’s YOUR homeschool. If you want to homeschool in PJs, go right ahead. There is freedom in homeschooling where you make the rules.
3. If you experienced a time when you weren’t able to homeschool but were in a rat race called life, then you appreciate what a relaxed homeschool life is.

I only could think of three benefits to homeschooling in your pajamas; however, those reasons are enough to make me want to do it at least once a week.

Getting dressed for homeschool benefits:

1. Getting dressed for the day means you are into work mode and out of relax mode. It’s  effortless for me to get in an “I don’t want to do anything” mood. If you are like this, then staying in your pajamas while homeschooling is NOT the best thing to do.
2. How many times have you had to do things last minute? Run to the grocery store, pick up a family member’s medicine, or run out to do something. Being dressed during homeschool means you are ready for whatever the day brings.
3. Getting dressed can bring focus. When you set a particular time for your homeschool where kids (and you) need to get dressed and ready to learn, the expectation will stick. Getting up and dressed prepares kids for their future careers. Not everyone will be able to work from home; therefore they need the practice of getting up and getting ready.

I thought I would be able to come up with a lot more reasons to get up and dressed but I couldn’t. I’m sure some of you could find more reasons easily. Maybe, this brings me to the mindset of what I mentioned previously.

If you can function and be productive with pajamas on all day then good on you! If you can’t concentrate or be productive without getting ready and groomed for the day, then make sure you do so.

However, if you are staying in your pajamas because you might be a depressed, lazy or not getting enough sleep, then you have to take steps to better yourself for the sake of your kids, for the sake of your homeschool and home life. This may mean you have to force yourself to get up, go to sleep earlier, push yourself into a routine, and force yourself to put some makeup on.

This is not for the outer world to see; this is so your inner self can heal; it’s to get you out of the funk.

I will tell you what I do. I homeschool Monday through Thursday. Fridays are our relax day and our “make-up” day – anything that didn’t get finished during the week in our homeschool gets done on Friday. We can all stay in our pajamas if we want to or not. If we have to go somewhere, of course, I will let the kids know to get ready. I do this because I can. I can decide to relax if I want to. Isn’t that freeing?!

I am also a work at home mom, so letting my kids chill out on Fridays is like a gift to them and ME. They do their thing; my son rides his bike or plays Minecraft; my daughter practices her ukulele or studies. I work as much as I can, or we spend time together and talk.

You can freely do whatever works for you in your homeschool. Some people even have homeschooling uniforms- I get it! It gets kids into the school mode. It is also OK to take a day off now and again and stay in PJs.

Whatever you decide ALWAYS shower and ALWAYS embrace the freedom that homeschool allows you. So – to wear pajamas or not to wear pajamas – I say do what works for your family and stay unbothered by what others think. 

What do you do in your homeschool – get dressed or wear pajamas? Join in the convo here on our Facebook Page!

 

I am not encouraging you by any means to homeschool in your pajamas, but here are a few PJs for you and your kiddos just in case :-) .

 

Latuza Women’s Bamboo V-Neck Short Sleeves Pajama Set L Light GrayLittle Girls Horse Pajamas Set Children Christmas PJs 100% Cotton Sleepwear Size 6 Yearsshelry Dinosaur Pajamas for Boys Summer Kids 4 Pieces Cotton Pjs Short Set Toddler Baby Sleepwear 6tPajama Heaven Magenta Short Sleeve V-Neck with Capris (PHBJ1730-2056-XL)