As a parent, it can be hard to raise little ones without any guidance or someone telling you what to do in certain circumstances. I know I wish my children would have come with a little instruction manual when departing from the hospital. I have researched the best parent podcasts to make your life that much easier when faced with parental uncertainties.
Being a mommy can be tough, trying and HARD. Between cleaning the house, getting everyone ready and out the door for school, working, planning and making dinner; finding time for yourself seems far from reach. Been there and done that…and I have learned through trial and error how to carve out time for myself as a busy mom.
It isn’t about squeezing out a minute or two here and there, but more about intentionally making time for YOU. At first, it may seem or even feel selfish to take time just for you but if you neglect yourself for others too long, it starts to break your spirit. Keeping the person (YOU) in tact before “Mommy” is key to successfully feeling like your tank is always full or better yet, overflowing.
Stressed? You’re not alone. Apparently 70 percent of U.S. moms say mothering is “incredibly stressful.” And 96 percent also feel that we are far more stressed than our own mothers were.
So what’s triggering Mommy Angst, circa 2017? (How much time do you have? LOL) It’s everything from financial insecurities, a more intensive parenting style and higher expectations for our kids’ success to a lack of support, time famine, relationship demands, and concern that the world is more perilous for kid raising.
One of the questions I get asked is “how do you afford to be a stay at home mom?” I never know exactly what to say because honestly, we don’t have an abundance of money just floating around. Staying home has meant that we don’t eat out very often, we give a lot of thought to what we purchase, and although we live a frugal life, we live a happy life.
Let’s be honest, affording to stay at home is not easy. It’s not something that was just magically bestowed on us although we do KNOW it’s a blessing. However, living on one income brings a new set of challenges and sacrifices.
When discussing whether or not to find out the gender of your unborn child, I have felt borderline bullied into keeping the sex of my baby a surprise when I was pregnant, but my husband and I decided to find out and were thrilled that we did. As soon as I discovered there was a little baby girl or boy in my belly, I felt our bond begin to grow.
These days, I don’t get a lot of time to myself (unless I schedule it in) but when I do it’s kind of a big deal. As women and moms it’s imperative that we take care of ourselves. I had to learn that taking time for myself was a way that I could refill my love tank and give love to my family without feeling depleted or drained.
Here are some of my favorite indulgences that I like to do when I get a little time to myself.
Ben: “I have a surprise for us!” Me: “Good or bad?” Isn’t that the truth…once you have kids and the honeymoon phase has long gone, you get into a rut and surprises may or may not be a good thing. Poor Benny…he tells me he has a surprise and I Read more…
“I booked your mom this evening!” “Um, for a date night?” I replied. “Eeeeekkkkk!!!!” I was dressed with my hair in a bun, no makeup on, I was working on getting the laundry done, I had on an outfit that looked straight out of the 80’s and TIME WAS TICKING! Read more…