Self Care or Self Indulgence

What about a little bit of both? It’s tough, I know, for us moms to find time for ourselves. As the day starts, when everybody must get to school on time, you hurl yourself into the activities of the day, with coffee on one hand, while the other hand tries to tame your child’s strong-willed bed head.

We need to achieve a balance in our hectic lives. It’s so easy to get thrown into the every day craziness, and drown in the morass of daily responsibilities.

Then, if you’re lucky and everyone cooperates, you may just get everyone out the door on time. And if the fairy goods of moms is really watching after you, maybe, just maybe, no one forgot something you would need to drop off at just the right time so they can have it at school.

Once the house is quiet again, you look around you and see the mass hysteria that had gone on the hour before–the unwashed dishes sticky with eggs, the crumbs of toast that somehow found themselves in the bathroom (what were they doing in there???), and the gallon of milk no way bothered to put back in the fridge. Then there’s the fear of going into the bedrooms because you know its going to be even worse in there. Is it any wonder that you’re exhausted by noon?

It took a long time for me, some prodding from my therapist, and encouragement from my husband, to learn to practice some self-care. I still sometimes feel guilty when I do something for myself but I always hear my therapist’s voice “You can’t be an effective mom if you’re tapped out.” She’s right, of course.

We need to care for ourselves. Whether its drinking coffee alone for an hour in the morning before the kids wake up, or that glass of wine as you put your feet up when everyone is asleep. Moms need to unwind, to let go of our responsibility even for just an hour. We need to achieve a balance in our hectic lives. It’s so easy to get thrown into the every day craziness, and drown in the morass of daily responsibilities. I get a pedicure every few weeks, sometimes a massage, once in awhile I drink a glass of wine but whatever it is, I make it a point to carve out some time for me. It’s not always easy as the needs of my kids always come first but I try to care for myself so I can stay sane, healthy and focused for them.