Motherhood: the only job with no vacation, holidays, or sick leave and where payment is given in sticky kisses and smudgy grins and still worth it. Let's help Mom recharge.
Moms need naps.
I know this from lots of experiences. And I get it; dads need naps, too. And if we’re getting right down to it, everyone needs naps.
And I think everyone should take naps. Or at least do something that recharges them. There are some very real reasons as to why we all need a recharge.
When you get on an airplane, whether you are a veteran flyer or flying for your fist time, you have to listen to the safety briefing. Well, let’s be honest. You don’t have to listen, but you do have to be present for it.
But you should be listening because that safety update offers some valuable life advice.
In any airplane safety lecture, the flight attendants always tell us to secure the air mask on ourselves before we try to help a child or anyone else. The reason for this is simple. If you fall unconscious while trying to help someone else, then no one gets helps.
Moms so often put their kids first in everything that they end up being the airplane passenger the flight attendants warned us about. We fall into a metaphorical (and sometimes literal) state of unconsciousness. We become incapable of helping our loved ones.
If your family life is so hectic that you can't even find a moment to steal for yourself in the bathroom because little fingers are squiggling under the door, and little voices, "Mom? Are you in there?" are carrying through the wood, then you need an intervention. So not only do we need naps, we need time-outs, too. Here are a few time-out ideas you can give yourself.
- Find a neighbor you can trade nap days with.
- Find a park where you can set up play dates for your kids where you can hang out with other moms and dads and get real adult conversation.
- Maybe just take an extra thirty minutes after the kids go to bed to run a hot bath and soak.
- Give yourself permission to do a crockpot meal once a week (or more if needs be since crockpot meals can be really delicious).
- Make sure you get breakfast!
Breakfast was my nemesis. By the time kids are out the door for school, and I’m on my way to work, it is the one thing I didn’t do for myself. I felt pretty accomplished knowing the kids were fed. I didn’t ever have a solution for this issue until Sunwarrior came out with their illumin8. Now with the help of illumin8, I can say I have a healthy, nourishing fulfilling breakfast every day. It’s quick, easy, and tastes great. Mocha is my favorite.
Whatever you need to do to fill yourself back up again, make sure you do it. Moms are superhuman in a lot of ways. We accomplish amazing feats, but if we want to keep on doing the amazing, we need to make sure we take care of ourselves, too. We are meant to have joy, not meant to drown in mismatched socks.
Do it!
Give yourself a time-out!
And come back recharged.
