Mom Self-Care: The rumor, The Myth, The Legend.

03/28/2017

Mom Self-Care: The rumor, The Myth, The Legend.

We’ve all seen it, the seasoned vet mom who posts a fabulous selfie on Friday night, dressed up to the nines, heading out for dinner with friends. We’ve all thought ‘Man, I wish that was ME!’. The time has come to stop thinking about it and (as Nike says) just DO it, or your version of a relaxing activity for yourself! Without some time to renew and recharge – Moms tend to devolve into this hot, frustrated, mess that isn’t pleasant for anyone! We all know ‘If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!’

After you have kids, taking care of ‘you’ seems to fall somewhere after sleep, eating, and whatever your kids want/need. Even as our children grow, ‘self-care’ never seems to move any higher on the mental list of things to do. It’s important to make sure you do take a few minutes to yourself whenever you can to ensure you’re happy, healthy and able to be the best mom you can be!

Self-Care doesn’t have to be a big event! With a newborn it could be something as simple as a shower on some days. I’m not talking a two minute shower with your baby next to you in their bouncer, washing spit-up out of your hair as fast as you can. I mean a ‘real’ hot shower, where someone else is watching baby so you can shampoo without trying to keep an ear open for angry screaming. Where you can shave your legs without leaping out of the tub, still soapy, to grab a fallen soother, etc. Other days it could be a trip to the spa with a girlfriend to get a manicure – even though you know it will chip the first time you have to help your 6 year old with a Lego masterpiece.

I define self-care as time when I don’t have to be the ‘Designated Parent’. It means I can snuggle with a cozy blanket, drink some hot tea, play a game on my iPad (Hello Plants Vs. Zombies – my dear friend) and when my oldest asks me for some juice I can reply with ‘Daddy is downstairs’. I love dropping my toddler off at the YMCA child-care and making a total laughing-stock of myself in the current version of ‘Groove’ with a friend. I enjoy heading out for lunch on a Saturday and heading to the mall – where I still inevitably buy only things for my boys but don’t have to take them with me. I always come home refreshed and ready to take on whatever new situations pop up while I’m away.

Self- care really is an important activity to participate in so make sure you do you best to fit it into your likely jam-packed day. You’ll thank yourself later! What are your favourite ways to wind down?