In 2014 the Daily Mail reported a study in 2014 that showed mums only getting 17 minutes of Me Time a day after they look after children, go to work and do the lion’s share of the housework.
So why is it so hard for mums to schedule ME TIME in our daily routine?
In our household, my husband has scheduled regular ‘Me Time’ in the form of cycling three times a week. Same time each week and nothing happens to ever change this plan. However, if I were to plan a regular spot of Me Time, especially when kids are around, more often than not something would happen to affect this scheduled time.
Mums often feel like their responsibilities are to their children, so nine times out of ten their own needs are put aside to make way for their children’s needs. To take time for one’s self may feel selfish but MUM TIME is an essential ingredient to keeping your mind on track creating a happy family unit. It is not only beneficial to your own self but also to your family who rely upon a happy and healthy mum to keep the cog turning.
MUM TIME shouldn’t be a luxury that you plan when everything and everyone else is sorted. It doesn’t detract from your parenting station, it is time that allows you to recharge so you can continue to be the best parent you can be.
If you are not running on a full tank and are tired and cranky, everything will bug you, especially the children. Children model their behaviour on that of their parents so grumpy mum mean grumpy kids. If you feel like a shaken fizzy bottle about to explode….it’s definitely time to take a break.
However the one thing that could stand in the way of quality me time is mother’s guilt. Somewhere along the line our sense of entitlement to ‘me time’ has disappeared and the guilt of spending time away from the children has come to the forefront.
Why do we feel guilty taking some time to clear our heads so we can be the best parent we can be? Everyone needs time out yet the invisible umbilical cord seems to be tripping a lot of us up. Or is it the fact that by the time you look after everyone else’s needs, you don’t have time for your own?
No matter what the reason, it is imperative that you take some MUM TIME each day to regroup your thoughts and keep your mind healthy. Not taking time out from the kids, family, work pressure and daily stresses can build up resentment, anger, frustration and sometimes illness.
Me Time means different things to different people. Although it sounds amazing, you don’t have to schedule in a weekly massage or pampering session. Taking some uninterrupted time to do something you enjoy for a period of time is all you need. Exercise, catching up on a good book, a soak in the bath without kids knocking on the door, or a long lunch with some girlfriends will do the same job with the same outcome in the end. Not only do you need to look after your body but also your mind. The airlines state in their emergency landing guide, you need to look after yourself before you can assist your children and this is applicable in your day to day life because how can your family function if you can’t?
Tips for taking some Mum Time
1.Try to leave the house.
Knowing the dependency of children…they will hunt you down and find you…even if you have barricaded the door, the interruption will distract you from what you are doing.
2.Try and schedule your Mum Time at the same time each day. I know this sounds impossible but if you scheduled it in to your day, you are more inclined to do it. There are too many things that can come between you and your time out.
3.Keep in mind physical exercise maintains your overall health and wellness. Even if you aren’t a gym junkie, a simple walk around the block can clear the mind get you back on track.
4.Rediscover yourself. Remember all those hobbies and activities you did before kids and now have somehow disappeared from your life? Look at the things you used to enjoy and embrace them again. If pilates, book clubs or naked yoga aren’t your thing anymore, check out some new activities to partake in when MUM TIME is scheduled.
5.It’s okay to sometimes indulge. MUM TIME doesn’t need to cost a lot of money and can be as simple as reading a good book without interruption however there are times where we deserve to indulge ourselves and may include a nice lunch or dinner out, a girls weekend away or a pamper at your local spa or retreat.
