"Me Time" can be a bit ambiguous. To everyone it means something different and to everyone the amount of time needed is directly proportional to the amount to time your youngest probably naps. Am I right?
Me Time can be anything: A shower, a hot bath, TV, Facebook time, talking on the phone, working out, taking a walk, reading a book, skimming a book, staring at the wall or meeting a friend for coffee.
We all have our guilty pleasures--things that get us up in the morning and keep us going from day to day.
In a world where you're doing baby and toddler, toddler and toddler, toddler and preschooler with two or more kids, Me Time isn't just a "nice to have" it's a necessity!
Me time leads to Mommy Confidence, according to Kimberley Clayton Baine, the GoToMom.
But finding time in the day for this, can take some work. No longer does it mean big chunks of time carved out for you to laze about the pool with a book, you have to find a way to survive everyday on little bits of this time. Even if it means getting out of the car and taking 10 big deep breaths and enjoying the quiet BEFORE you get everyone out and into the house. (No, don't walk too far from the car, but we are saying it's OK to take a moment before you unleash the beasts.) Although I do have to give major props to Baby Buncher Tara who gets her quiet time walking to the mail box--from her car--with all four of her bunch safely strapped in. She reads the mail on the way back to the car in peace.
The best way to carve out this time is during naptime. Eventually you will get naps to overlap. And when you do, the first thing to consider is "what can I not do when the kids are awake?" For me this meant working. I worked part time from home since my second was born--and even at only a few hours each week, it provided me the time to do what I love--write. So the minute kids are down for a nap, I enjoy lunch on my own and hit the computer.
Do what you love during these few moments of quiet time. If doing laundry (in quiet) helps you reflect and become centered, then by all means go forth and fold! As you adjust to your new life as a Baby Buncher, you'll learn to grab those "Me Time" moments in smaller bits. Sometimes even coffee with the girls while toddlers destroy the living room can be counted if baby is sleeping in the other room and your friends don't mind mass destruction. Do make sure you're at least eating something unhealthy while this is going on if you're going to count moments like this.
Even with catching a moment here and there when you can, make sure you carve out real time during the week that is just for you. While at work, really TAKE your lunch break away from the office. Put the kids to bed one evening and head out for a shopping trip. Escape one afternoon to a bookstore to get coffee and actually read a book.
I always wait til the weekend to run to the library. I leave the kids with hubby and spend a good 45 mins 'dropping off the books' AKA browsing through magazines and searching for books that I will check out, but never have the time to actually read. :)
Posted by: kelly | Oct 06, 2009 at 08:53 PM