Rearing our children is every parent’s most important job. To do that well, we need to take care of ourselves emotionally, physically, intellectually, and spiritually. On an airplane, passengers are instructed to put the emergency oxygen mask on themselves first because if they become incapacitated, they can’t correctly apply their child’s mask. As a burnt-out mom, you can’t care for your kids to the best of your ability. Therefore, self-care improves parenting.
8 Way’s Busy Mom’s Can Prioritize Self-Care
Take a Hot Tub Bath
When you care for yourself, you parent better. After a frustrating day with my three children, I take a long, hot bath. Once I emerge from my time of solace, I feel rejuvenated and more attentive to my family. My quiet time helps restore my positive attitude.
Meditating
Self-care is a big task when you parent and have a job. Carving out short periods for yourself is one way to accomplish self-care. Most mornings, before anyone awakens, I spend fifteen minutes meditating. This time nourishes my soul and gives me the spiritual energy I require to love my family unconditionally. If one of my children awakened, I would ask them to sit by me and spend a few minutes of quiet time praying. What time of day could you spend with the Lord? Is the evening, after your kids are in bed, better for you?
Exercise
To care for myself physically, I teach Christian yoga classes twice a week and work out at the gym. Demonstrating physical activity to your children encourages them to pick up this healthy habit. Exercise prevents many diseases, improves cognition and your overall health. Explain to your child how important it is for you to exercise so your body functions properly. My habit of working out rubbed off on my kids. My two oldest, who are in college, attend yoga classes and go to the gym regularly. Since I made it a priority to maintain my physical fitness, my young adult children do as well.
Eating Healthy Foods
Eating healthy foods is another essential component of self-care. Consume organic fruits, vegetables, grass-fed meat without hormones or antibiotics, and nuts and seeds. Don’t eat refined grains, such as products made with white flour or rice; instead, enjoy quinoa, organic oats, and brown rice. Processed foods from boxes and bags provide no nutritional value and cause your blood sugar to rise and then plummet. When your blood sugar bottoms out, you don’t feel like parenting, and you may lose your cool with your kids.
I included healthy items in my children’s lunch boxes. Instead of fruit roll-ups, I placed a piece of fruit in their lunchbox. I explained how fiber and vitamins from fruit and vegetables helped them grow. Fruit roll-ups were stripped of their nutrients and likely had added sugar, which was not good for them. Add fresh, crunchy vegetables, such as sugar snap peas, celery, and carrots, in your child’s lunch instead of chips and crackers. Since I taught my children about eating healthy, my two oldest daughters have become health nuts and share their healthy recipes with me.
Reading or Writing
Each of us needs intellectual stimulation, whether through work, reading a book, or calculating the monthly budget. I love to write and inspire others to improve their health through my prose. Finding what stimulates you mentally will keep your mind active and provide intrinsic satisfaction. What activities challenge your brain?
Emotional Connection
Emotionally we need connections, whether it is with our spouse, significant other, or friends. We can also attain fulfillment through our relationship with God. We need someone with whom we can share our thoughts and feelings. Our children need that emotional connection too. I found that taking my daughter on a date to a local coffee shop or ice cream parlor increased her capacity to converse with me. Also, tucking a child in bed at night allows quiet time for him or her to open up and share. As a mom, we need to be ready when the window of our child’s heart opens, and they want to talk. We need to stop what we are doing and listen because later on, the door to their heart might be closed, and we missed that perfect opportunity.
Family Time
Family vacations, date nights, or lunch with a friend fulfill our emotional needs. Promote family relations at dinner time. During my vacation in France, I embraced the French culture of dining for two hours. You could serve appetizers at 20-minute intervals (such as a melon and then a salad) before the main entrée. Time at the table allows a family to sit together and talk. In America, we may spend an hour cooking and eat our meal in twenty minutes. Maybe we should change this negative habit because spending family time together restores the emotional part of our soul.
Saying No
Self-care, like the oxygen mask on the airplane, is easier said than done. Sometimes you need to say “no” to events and activities, so you have time for yourself. To get your kids on board, explain how essential it is for you to take care of yourself, whether through working out at the gym or reading a book. Help them understand that when you take time for self-care, you become a more patient mother. If you can’t carve out a significant amount of time, then use a few minutes here and there to read one page in a book or shoot a quick prayer to the Lord. Your body, mind, spirit, and children will thank you.
What is one self-care tactic you can employ today? Schedule a time to speak with your children about the importance of personal time for yourself, so that you can parent them better.
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