HOW TO FIND BALANCE WITH YOUR KIDS, BEING PRODUCTIVE & TIME FOR YOURSELF
A Momma asked about my take on balancing time playing with kids, being productive and time for myself. So here we go...
When I first became a Mom almost 4 years ago I thought I had to entertain my child constantly... playing with them, playing music for them, playing with them in the bathtub, all of it! And then I came across my favorite parenting blog here! I realized I didn't have to entertain my child. That wasn't my job. They could easily, and should, entertain themselves. There's a whole world out there to explore. So from that point on I gave them plenty of opportunities to play and explore all by themselves.
At times I will play with them, read books and sometimes I'll just watch them. One of my favorites things to do is watch my children play. I love seeing what they like to play with and seeing them use their imagination. Just today my 3 year old was playing with two blocks and they were animals and my 2 year old played with two empty bowls for at least 20 minutes. He was clinging them together, laughing, it was the cutest thing. (If you have Instagram, it's on my stories @thisnewlifeofmine_). The simpler the toy, the better! Bowls, blocks, balls, cups, etc! I'm telling you, they'll be entertained for days.
You hear a lot about planning your day, blocking out time for work, playing with kids, etc. Totally agree! Sometimes I'm just not that organized though. So honestly, it's random when I play with my kids.
Ideally, I like to get ready before the kids wake-up, but let's be honest, they're waking me up most days. (Insert emoji sticking out tongue here, I really need emoji's when I'm writing! Anyone else?! lol) I change Jack, get him a bottle, get breakfast for Linc and then I like to pick up if we didn't the night before, put in a load of laundry and do the dishes. I'm a total night-owl but I'm really productive in the morning's. Find what works for you!
I also like to be productive during nap/quiet time and sometimes after they go to bed. I like to pick up every night before bed so that I don't wake up to a messy house and to stay on top of everything. It helps a lot!! But sometimes it doesn't happen because we're too tired or we get home late, etc. Also, if it takes longer then 15-20 minutes to clean up, I know I need to go through and DI (thrift store) a few things! Seriously though.
Less stuff = less to clean up = happiness!
Time to myself... I'm getting better at this! Because I HAVE to! It's a lot caring for a home, 3 kids & a husband... lol jk! But really! Being a Momma can be exhausting emotionally, physically, mentally, all of it. You get it, I know! We HAVE to take care of ourselves so we can take care of everyone else.
Just this past week I was feeling the crazy start to come in. Anyone else?! I text my husband and told him I would be leaving for a bit when he got home to run some errands. Give your husband a heads up and then go to Target, Hobby Lobby, [insert favorite store here] all by yourself! It's amazing!! That's exactly what I did and then I dropped by Chick-Fil-A on the way home! :) It's amazing what even an hour or two all by yourself can do.
I get my nails done occasionally, my hair done and run errands by myself when I need a little me time. It helps to reset and I feel so much better. Momma's be sure you're doing this! Get a babysitter if you have to! Get the girls together one night, get with your girlfriends during the day, have a playdate!
We NEED time to ourselves and we NEED friends!
You got this!
Thanks for reading!
- Jenna
xoxo
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