Me Time. Is it selfish or a necessary part of a mom’s life to keep her well balanced? For me it’s definitely a necessity. I love being a mom, but I also need activity away from my family that allows me to stretch my brain beyond memorizing all the My Little Pony characters and reminding my kiddo to share her toys and be kind to her friends and wipe her bottom and stop digging in her nostrils. Don’t get me wrong, I believe the time I spend with her is something to be treasured and a it’s a role that I don’t take lightly. Motherhood is a precious gift full of self sacrifice and it is TIRING work. Tiring, but rewarding. When my daughter was about a year old I found myself feeling drained and I strongly desired my own personal time. Something that would energize me yet give me a break.
At the time, I enjoyed lots of playdates with other moms and kids, but I was desperately seeking an outlet for myself that allowed me to think about something besides diapers, naptime, and breastfeeding. I already loved to read, so I asked some friends about their book club and they said I could join. Three years later it’s still something I look forward to each month! We meet once a month at various restaurants in the city, so not only do I get to stretch my brain while I read but I get to try out new delicious dishes all over town! People often ask when do I find time to read? I usually read when my daughter sleeps, so often in the evening after she’s in bed or during her rest times I can sneak in a few chapters. My book club reads all sorts of genres from fiction to non-fiction, classics to chick-lit, and tragedies to comedies. Yes some of us are moms so the conversation inevitably turns to our children during the meal – but that’s OK too!
Another thing I indulged in when my daughter was still in diapers was a gym membership (with onsite childcare available). I have never been an athletic or sporty girl, but after having a baby and some health issues that followed, I really wanted to get healthier. I found a few exercise classes I really enjoyed taking weekly. The classes were a great stress reliever for me and over time they even got to be fun! I have made some wonderful friends just by sweating beside them at the gym and we continue to encourage each other to keep living healthy lives over the past few years. Some of our kids have even formed great friendships with each other.
Me Time sounds so selfish, but I think when I allow time to rejuvenate myself in activities I enjoy doing, I have a better attitude, I am more rested, my brain is less foggy, I have more energy, I am happier, so ultimately I have more to give my husband and daughter…and that’s not selfish at all!
Whether crafting, cooking, journaling, kickboxing, photographing, swimming, marathoning, knitting, traveling, or spelunking….Do you have scheduled “me” time for yourself? What do you enjoy doing in your “me” time? Share in the comments!
No scheduled me time for me….but in the event that I do get some I love it!! I don’t think it’s selfish at all, but I always feel like I’m being selfish when I take it. Hopefully after a little photo shoot on the 16th I’ll have some me time to sew a quilt for Baby Drew!
Great article Katie! This is such a great way to encourage other moms! I really enjoying painting furniture. It’s a fun creative outlet for me so I try to find time during the week to work on that. Sometimes that means bargain shopping at garage sales for used furniture and sometimes I’m actually out in the garage sanding, painting or re-purposing my finds.
I’ve seen your stuff on facebook it’s so fun and creative!
Wow… Me time is always a tough one! We’re still in the two nap a day phase. While little one is napping I find myself running around the house like crazy trying to get a million things done that I wouldn’t be able to do when Caroline is awake. I definitely need to take the time to slow down and just do something for me! Maybe I’ll break my sewing machine out and start sewing again! Thanks for the encouragement!
I remember being sad when 2 naps a day went down to one because I got chores done during one nap, then used the other to read. But then I learned we could get out of the house more with only one nap and that was fun too!
Great article! I’ve been talking to lots of my friends about this lately! I love love love my husband and children! But, sometimes I do need “me time”. It’s hard to fit it in, but I love meeting my friends for late coffee/tea, playing Bunco and having “meetings” 🙂 But I also like to do stuff just by myself. I love to sew and craft, so that’s something I can do when the kids are in bed, or have them and my husband help me with a project! I find I’m happier if I get a little time away every once in a while.
When I had my first baby, I thought “me time” was wrong and I shouldn’t want it. Now I find that things are better when both mommy and daddy get a little “me time”. I still don’t take advantage of it near enough.
LOVE your blog post. Sorry I am not in OKC to show up at the launch party.
Proud to be the dad of this “OK Mom!”
So proud of you katie!
This is definitely something I struggle with. With three little kids it seems impossible to get quality time in with each of them, quality time in with my husband and then somehow manage to find time leftover for myself. It is definitely important though. I teach 3 yoga classes a week and though it isn’t much money at all, I use that to get a massage every two weeks. It literally SAVES MY LIFE. 🙂