I am trying to fly every couple of weeks with a safety pilot under the hood, but its going to be a very long road to 200hrs...
You are wasting your time and money. It is 200 hours IFR flight that is required
not 200 hours IF flight.
As a PPL Instructor you really ought to know the difference: A PPL course requires no IFR time but it does require a small element of IF flight.
If you hold an IMCR, IR(R) or IR yourself then just go and fly IFR.