It is no secret that when you become a parent,
your focus, energy, and time revolve around that little person.
It is also no secret that in order for a parent to survive parenthood (and life in general),
they need to BREATHE.
In yesterday's post, I talked about our need to rest and take time to breathe.
But how are we supposed to do that, when kids are crying, jumping around, wanting you to read a book, or play with them?
How are we supposed to "take time" for ourselves when the 2 year-old needs to eat, the baby needs to be nursed, the phone is ringing, and the oven is beeping?
And that's not including the mountains of laundry, dishes, and toys everywhere that need to be put away, washed, or folded. *sigh*!!
So, here are my 2 cents on this whole thing called "breathing"...
1. Have your kids entertain each other... and breathe.
2. While one is napping (because the 2 year-old refuses to nap these days...), offer the opportunity for "quiet time" to the one who isn't napping. It's not "sleeping" time, but it's sure nice to slow down. Then breathe.
3. While your spouse (or other care giver) is in charge of baths, take an extra minute or two on your own... and breathe.
4. Car rides are perfect for a little breathing time... kids are distracted (not always, but often), and those possible quiet moments can be quite refreshing before hitting the store or unloading groceries at home.
5. When I'm tempted to answer that phone call or text a friend back, I use that "ring" as a reminder to slow down, let the answer machine do her job, and give myself the extra seconds to breathe.
6. Dessert time is always breathing time!
7. IF I'm blessed to get the kids napping at the same time, or playing quietly by themselves, I make myself a warm cup of coffee, sit on my couch (or at the dinner table), and quietly breathe.
8. At night before I go to bed, I take some time to breathe and watch the beauty of silence in the house.
9. I cut TV time to breathe (this is an IMPORTANT one).
10. And one of my favorites... when I'm nursing the baby... I take time to breathe.
No, it's not perfect, but it's a start.
Remind yourself that breathing is vital for a living (and sane) parent.
I don't always do all 10 of these. But I DO try to take the time to interfere the mundane routine. It's easy to find ourselves on auto-mode.
Let's NOT!
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