As a parent it is hard to find time for yourself. Activities we once loved take a backseat to those activities our children now love. These days your spare time is probably more often spent driving back and forth to school or practice than it is driving a golf ball on your favorite course. Your clothing budget has most likely lost a few dollars to the “growing by the minute and need new sneakers twice in one year” fund. It is easy to allow ourselves to be consumed by the challenging job of being a good parent and forget we need to refuel on occasion in order to be that kind of parent.
I don’t know about you but when I have a few moments to myself or greater yet an entire evening out with my husband or some friends, I feel refreshed and ready to tackle another sibling “discussion”, tantrum or the like. I was reading through the articles submitted this month and when I got to Lisa Jordan’s article titled, “Making Time for Yourself,” my curiosity was peaked. I wondered what advice she would have to offer and if I would be able to apply it to my chaotic schedule. I was delighted to find, as you will be, a number of suggestions that we will be putting into practice in our home.
I loved that she has ideas for parents with children of all ages. One of my favorites was setting a kitchen timer for thirty minutes and taking a bath, reading a book, knitting, writing, etc. and expressing to your children that you are not to be interrupted unless a genuine emergency occurs. I think this is a fantastic idea. My daughter is a little too young for this but my four-year-old totally could grasp this concept.
If you are finding the grind of parenthood a bit much to bear at times, try to look back and remember when the last time was that you made a little time for yourself and did something you really enjoy. It might surprise you how the days have turned into weeks and the weeks into a month! Check Lisa’s article for quick and simple tips to regain some of that “me” time that everyone desperately needs!
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Have a wonderful August!
Kirsten Johnson