Any mom or dad will quickly tell you, not only is parenthood rewarding, it’s tiresome. That doesn’t mean that you won’t enjoy being a parent, it means you shouldn’t expect to bet on a whole lot of personal time unless you get up before the kids and stay up well after they go to bed. But you need that time to yourself. Even the best parent will tell you, spending time with your kids is great, but you need to have a little time to yourself too.
How do you take that time for yourself without feeling like you’ve totally abandoned your child? Do it a little every day. That might have lost some of you but there are lots of little things you can do during the day that will help you keep your sanity and feel like you are actually an adult and not just a tall child.
Read a Good Book
You probably read all the time, especially if you have small children. Bet the biggest book you’ve read lately is about twenty to thirty pages long and most of those pages have bright colorful pictures and short sentences. While you might have a collection of books you enjoy sharing with the kids it’s not really that intellectually stimulating. How dinosaurs go to school or the little engine that could are great stories but, well, after a handful of times through you can probably quote them.
Find your favorite author and sit in a nice comfy chair. It’s easy to find time to read, even if it’s just for half an hour or so. While the kids take a nap, instead of doing laundry or cleaning the house take a few minutes for yourself. Read for a little bit and get away from your life for a few minutes. If there is a particular series of books that you enjoy, reading one can be like meeting up with an old friend.
If you’re kids are up, you can still grab a few minutes in the written word, you just have to be more creative about it. Let your kids watch a movie and sit in the room with them and read. Not only will you get a short break from the kids stuff, you’ll be encouraging your children to pick up a book too.
Bath time for Mommy
This is something that a lot of mothers of young children crave, a chance to take a bath. If you stay at home with the kids all day there is no rule that says you can’t have a bath. You might just have to be creative about it. Instead of taking a bath first thing in the morning, wait until the kids are in bed. This way you can wash all the gunk, grime, and stress of the day off of you before you crawl into bed. There is nothing like a warm shower to relax you and get you ready to hit the hay. Your significant other can listen for the kids for a little bit so you can get some peace.
Watch a Favorite Show
Most likely your favorite TV show is not going to be exactly child appropriate but that doesn’t mean you should ban them from your home completely. Like reading or taking a warm bath you might have to get creative. Now is the time to invest in a TiVo or DVR so that you can enjoy your shows on your schedule. Sure you might not get to sit and watch it when it first comes on, but when the kids are in bed, taking a nap, or otherwise occupied you can catch up. The great thing about these types of players . . . you can watch commercial free!
Enjoy a Hobby
You probably feel that you don’t have time to go to the bathroom by yourself much less take up a hobby but you might be surprised. Jewelry making, sewing, cross stitching, and even crocheting is something that you can pretty much do anywhere in the house. For things like making jewelry or sewing you’ll need a place where you can keep dangerous objects out of small hands but that doesn’t mean you can’t sit at the table while the kids play on the floor. The idea is to do something you enjoy doing while your kids are occupied.
Spending time with your kids is a great way to make sure that the values you want them to learn are being taught. We hear all the time how parents need to be more involved in their children’s lives and that is true. There are times, however, when you need to step back and take a breather. Even if you only get to do something for yourself for five minutes, it can make a huge difference in how you feel.
