I didn’t realize just how much I needed time for myself until I went out with my mother-in-law for our Mom’s Night Out event. Then it dawned on me just how much I miss having the freedom to just chit chat about the kids and husband issues without having to pick up my train of thought in between the kids constant interruptions. Plus I realized how much of my life literally revolves around the kids.
Granted, I may blog and spend a lot of time on the computer throughout a day, but that doesn’t stop me from being a MOM first. I’m constantly up and down for them. I’m always keeping one eye on the computer and one eye on them. I know just about every move they make, and I ensure that they do their school work like they are supposed to as well. There are many days were I’m focused on teaching them from 7am until well past dinner time because they aren’t able to grasp the concepts independently with the aide of all of the online resources I’ve rounded up for them over the summer along with their lessons the school provides them.
Gosh knows, Zeva, my little Fuss Box, is a true handful. I do declare she is enough to make any parent wore out before they even have their feet hit the ground. Now that the TERRIBLE twos have set in it’s even worse. We’ve reached the ‘unnna” (can’t even spell it, but it’s her version of NO.) stage. Our precious little girl is my dream come true, but she’s also my living nightmare at times too.
The big question is… How do I make time for ME??
Honestly, I do it with the help of my loving husband. My husband knows that if he helps out around the house and gives me time to unwind at night before I come to bed that he gets extra “sexy time.” So, for him it’s a win-win. It all starts with some type of order in our household.
Rules of the House:
1.) Dinner is usually done by 7pm.
2.) Bath time is done by 8pm. (I usually try to get it done prior to dinner that way after dinner I can be done with being Mommy! What I mean by that is this Mommy is no longer the primary one on duty, if I want to spend times with the kids I do, but if I don’t they know they are to go spend time with Daddy.)
3.) Depending on kids behaviors (and if it’s a school night or not) they are either in bed between 8:30-9pm. On some occasions if we’re feeling generous and don’t have plans of our own, then we’ll let them stay up with us even later. However, on average the kids our tucked in bed by 9pm.
The bed time routine is vital for them, but it’s equally as important for us as parents. We need time to be by ourselves to have the energy to go on to the next day.
4.) Everyone has chores to do first thing in the morning in our house. We all pitch in and get them knocked out first thing that way we can focus on our workloads (whether that’s school, business related, conferences, or anything else we may have on our table.)
5.) We make sure that discuss with everyone involved what the schedule for the day entails. Gosh knows we never have the same schedule two days in a row around here for anything!
6.) We work as a team.
I like peaceful ME Time activities such as:
-Catching up on my shows off of my DVR. (I normally watch my TV shows all at one time-so basically once a week I turn into the TV hog.)
-Playing one of my video games. Yes, I’m a Lego game lover. I may have to start implementing me doing Wii U Fit games again prior to taking my showers. I think that will help make me feel a lot better too.
-Writing letters to friends and loved ones that aren’t close to me.
-Reading that book that has the ability to take me away.
-Soaking in a steaming hot bath using my Bath and Body Works products that I just love so much!
-Capturing sunset pictures and scenes from walking around our property by MYSELF.
-Enjoying anything that allows me time by myself. This is actually one of the reasons why I love blogging because I can do it by MYSELF on my terms.
To be honest, if I did everything I should be doing as a mother and wife everyday then my ME Time would probably never really exist. However, my husband would rather have a well-rested and attentive wife and mother than one who is so exhausted that there is no time for him or the kids. As the saying goes, “if Momma isn’t happy, nobody is happy.”
What does your ME Time look like?
if you’re a reader who likes romance moves i highly suggest acheron by sherrilyn kennyon she is one of my favorite authors !
I’ve never read her books before. I have looked into some of her books on Amazon. I’ll be sure to add them on my to-read list.
I’m glad you take time out for ‘me’ time. My family would give it to me but I never give it to myself since there’s always something I know I should be doing. It’s exhausting and some times my body will force me to take a break.
Sounds to me like you need to take time to enjoy your life before it passes you by completely. 🙂 (Please note: Prior to February 6, 2006 I was just as guilty of doing that. I didn’t enjoy my life worth a dime.)
It is important to have time for yourself. LOL, I often forget some people actually like their MIL. I am happy that you get along with yours. Me time for me is crafting. I love it and have gotten away from it lately. I like to for the most part make paper beads. I make them out of any paper. I like paper from the scrapbook section but I have also used cereal boxes, tissue boxes, Mike’s Hard boxes, etc. I get the sealant from the hardware store. People think that is weird. I love upcycled crafts and around XMAS I make new ornaments for my tree. I also made a scrappy scarf around XMAS for me (sewn, I do not have the patience at all to learn to knit or crochet). So that is me time. I really don’t like being around other people that much and have social anxiety.
Do you have a website where you sell your handy work? I would love to see it. Yes, I get along with my in-laws (and it’s a good thing since they live less than 200 feet away.) We have our moments of family drama, but luckily it’s not an everyday occurrence.
Me time? That is far and few between. It’s hard for me around here to get that. My kids are ages 3, 7 and almost 9. I need to work a little harder on the scheduling. The kids go to bed around 9, the little one at 8:30, but even after 9 I keep getting the “Mom” up until 10 and sometimes 11. My oldest takes after me, she tries to be nocturnal and sleep in as late as possible. On the weekends, we both sleep in. Hubby takes the reigns on the weekends to lets me rest. The only me time is late at night and quite often Hubby and I love to do Date Night at the Red Wings hockey games, yes I love hockey! I think I need to implement a chore list for the kids to make my work load a little easier. This post did give me some ideas to run my ship a little easier, thanks.
I’m glad you gained some ideas worth using. Having my kids help with chores has been the best thing I’ve ever done. It definitely doesn’t hurt them one bit. It prepares them for their own independent lives. My husband and I have date nights a couple nights a week where we do various things too. That’s great that you and your husband have a love of hockey in common and make time to be together!
My ME time is catching up on my DVR. I admit I watch way too many shows. But I do because what else would I do for me time?!
DVR’s are such a great invention aren’t they. I’m so glad I’m able to watch my shows at my convenience. Do you have any other passions that you miss doing?
When the kids were still home, I used to get up at 5 am to get a little me time and get energized for the day. I love escaping into a book at night, but I usually fall asleep too fast!
I don’t have enough desire to have ‘me time’ enough to get up early. Now, I’ll stay up until 2AM in a heartbeat. I am NOT and I repeat NOT a morning person at all.
I love to read for my me time. My kids are in bed by 8 almost every night and I follow not so far behind lately. I like to do my grocery shopping alone as well. Whenever I can I will go out with a girlfriend for dinner or a movie or something.
Book reading has taken a back seat for to long for me. I just literally finished a whole book in two days yet again. I forgot how great it is to pick up a book in my hands and choose it based it’s cover. I can’t wait to tell you about the two books I’ve found and the things they’ve stirred up in me. 😉
As far as grocery shopping…I HATE doing it. I’m usually blessed to have my husband go with me, and he’s so much better at it than I am. I’m terrible at planning out meals, and if I do plan out a meal I literally feel like I’ve ate it a 100 times before I cook it. So, I end up not wanting it AT ALL by the time it’s done. It’s a twisted messed up mind thing for me.
My totally alone ME time involves my Sunday morning trips to two different grocery stores. This may sound odd to a lot of people, but I look forward to meal planning, shopping for my family and spending some time on my own every week. I also make frequent trips to a retail store or the salon to unwind!
We all have different things that we love to do. It sounds to me like you love to cook and be creative with food. Plus you may get a high from saving money??(I’m assuming a bit here since you do it on Sundays?)
I have a few shows on my DVR that I need to catch up on!
I’m listening to my shows as I catch up on responding to all of my lovely comments. That’s the only way I get to keep up to date with them lately. However, I’m not complaining because that means I’m making my dreams a reality.
There is nothing I look forward to more than me time, it’s so important!
It is very vital that’s for sure. I didn’t realize just how vital until recently.
It’s good you take time out for Me Time, I am guilty of not doing this often enough.
{Melinda} Me time is so important for moms! I know that even if I get 15 or 20 minutes of downtime, to just be alone or take a walk, it makes a HUGE difference in my perspective and energy level!
My husband is wonderful about spending time with our son, but I’ve been spending way too much time working on my blog lately to take “me” time. I know I need to prioritize better, and get more organized. I’m working on it! 🙂
Woman, there are times when my blog life consumes me to death too. Yet, I can’t imagine not doing it now. I keep offering to quit for my family, but they are quick to say NO. I guess it keeps me somewhat sane.
My me time usually involves catching up with some of my favorite TV shows on the DVR or Netflix, going for a drive with no destination in mind, going to the library, or cuddling up with a good book even though that’s the quickest way to put me to sleep.
When the weather is nice and warm, I love to walk at the riverfront or hitting the trails. It’s a great way to get in touch with nature. 🙂
I love nature walks a lot myself! It’s a great way to relax for sure.
Me time, for me, is usually a nice, long bath.
Woman….that’s a great Me time, but you need something beyond that too. 🙂 You DESERVE more than that. I’m confident your family will agree with me on that one.
With just one child, I never really felt the need for “me” time. And now with her just on the verge of leaving home, I try and spend every ounce of free time I have with her. We’ve actually always been that way in our family, none of us really have had “me” time, once the ‘obligations’ of jobs are out of the way, we actually prefer what time we have to spend together.
When you have only one child it’s easy to feel that way. When you have three of them pulling and tugging on you at a time all day long, you HAVE to get away. I didn’t even need ‘me’ time hardly at all when I had two kids. Since we added Zeva to our family that ‘me’ time has become so utterly important. It’s almost like we’re out numbered so it takes extra strength to keep up. As they get older though, life does become a bit better.
Since we homeschool too, we really don’t get those breaks from our kids either.
We homeschool too 🙂 Not judging anyone for taking me time. You asked what our Me time looked like. My Me time right now is family time. It’s just what I prefer. I’ll have plenty of Me time in fall when she’s off at college.
I didn’t take it as you judging me. I’m sorry if it came across like I thought you were. I was just justifying it. (Maybe for myself more than for you because there are times when I fell guilty for taking the ‘me’ time when there is ALWAYS something left undone.)