Taking Time for Me

I had always heard that moms struggled with taking care of themselves. I admit that I never understood this before I became a mom, because I was very good as self care as a single person. Granted, some of that started to slip when Hubby and I got married, but I still made time for myself and had my own hobbies and interests.

But lately, both Hubby and I have been burning the candle at both ends. He with his grad school internship plus work, me with trying to be a round-the-clock parent when he isn't home. It's much harder to care for a child all of their waking hours when you are completely alone than I realized.

Now, I know that there are parents out there who have much more difficult circumstances than I do on a daily basis. But because we are all unique beings, our capacity for difficulty differs. I struggle to balance self-care with my "job" as a wife and mother.

As a Christian, I *KNOW* that my relationship with God needs to be my first priority, but I admit that there are many days that I don't have my quiet time. I have always been in the habit of lifting up prayer concerns as I go through my day. But finding time that I can actually sit down and read Scripture and meditate has been difficult lately.

Even in neglecting my own spiritual walk, I feel like there isn't enough time in the day to do all the things that need done. But one thing I am learning to that even if I don't have that daily time for myself, I try to make sure it is still a part of my weekly routine. Days when Hubby is gone from 8 am to 9 pm do not leave much time for me, but I try to make sure the other days have time for me built in.

Here are a few things that I am doing to find weekly time for me:

~ when I go to the chiropractor (generally once a month), I get someone to watch Ladybug. Between my mother-in-law and two friends, I can usually find someone who can watch her so that I can reduce my stress. I have drive time to be quiet and waiting room time to read. And since Ladybug DOES NOT like anyone touching Mama, not having her there reduces my overall stress.

~ When Hubby is home and not working on a paper, I have asked him to be the parent so I can sit outside or lock myself in a room alone to read. Very refreshing!

My main priority during these alone times is to quiet myself and the thousand thoughts that are racing through my brain, read Scripture, meditate, and maybe read another inspirational book if there is time.

I know that I need to take care of myself. I am not a nice person to be around when I am lacking sleep. My sinful nature takes over when I am not staying connected to God. I know that in order to be the wife, mother, and woman that I want to be, I *MUST* take time for me.

Any suggestions out there? I'd love to hear how you deal with making time for yourself in the midst of a busy family life.