Finding Me Time

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I'm sure you've been through this. Day after day of taking care of kids, cleaning the house, doing laundry, homeschooling and foster care (in my case), grocery shopping, library visits, and God knows what else, it dawns on you that you do everything for everyone else except yourself.

Our foster care case worker came over the other day to visit the new baby we have. She asked me what my days are like and I told her. Then she asked me what I do for myself each day. I shrugged and said, "I read a few pages of a book for ten minutes before I fall asleep." That sounded pathetic even to me.

She told me as a parent I should take time out every day to something just for myself. It felt almost impossible this week to do that, especially with a five year old and a three month old baby. But I paid closer attention and tried. I ended up getting to read a writing magazine for an hour the other day when the baby had a visit with his mother and my husband played a video game with my son. And last night I got to go to Target with my girlfriend and shop. We took the baby, but besides a small crying fit (the baby not my girlfriend) which I quickly ended by swaddling him, he was fine.

I guess the only downside I've seen of homeschooling so far is that I won't get a break like most parents who send their kids to school. And believe me, I'm not complaining, I love being with him. I just need to get creative on how to carve out a little more time for myself. This next week I'm shooting for actually getting some writing done.

How do you fit time in just for you when life gets in the way?

Comments

Bethany Elizabeth said…
Life never gets less busy, does it? :( I'm hoping I'll get a couple years between college and marriage when I can get a lot of writing done, but we'll see.
But you DEFINITELY should take some time for yourself and your writing. :) If, you know, you can find it... best of luck! :)
April 23, 2011 at 1:49 PM
Leah (aka Mary_not_Martha) said…
Ah, the elusive "me-time". Even though my kids are in school - it seems like there's always one home for whatever reason. I don't think it's abnormal for a mom to not have "me time". I think people should suggest it but it shouldn't be a burden on you to check off your list. One way I sneak in me-time is running them a bubble bath, grabbing a book and sitting in the hall just outside the doorway where I can see them but read and not feel the need for constant eye-contact.
April 25, 2011 at 1:02 PM
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