{"id":6954,"date":"2023-05-08T23:05:16","date_gmt":"2023-05-08T21:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/responsive.jozikids.co.za\/zaparents\/?p=6954"},"modified":"2023-05-08T23:04:57","modified_gmt":"2023-05-08T21:04:57","slug":"me-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/parenting\/moms-mothers-single-mothers-being-a-mom\/me-time\/","title":{"rendered":"The ever elusive \u201cMe-Time\u201d!"},"content":{"rendered":"
We\u2019ve all read it in some or other parenting magazine or seen it on a parenting program.\u00a0 Mum needs to look after herself first in order to give the best of herself to her kids.\u00a0 Uhmmm, ya.\u00a0 Easier said than done!\u00a0 Where on earth do we find the time for this me-time?<\/div>\n

Between cooking, cleaning, working, extra murals, homework, husbands and all that goes with them, and the rest of life, there really is no time.\u00a0 Putting everything else first just comes naturally to a mum because that\u2019s how it\u2019s supposed to be.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t that what makes you a good mother?\u00a0\u00a0 Making sure that everything and everyone else\u2019s needs are met with fleeting urgency (got to find that missing crayon right now).<\/p>\n

Fitting me-time in<\/h3>\n

I have tried recently to introduce some \u201cme-time\u201dinto my life by multi-tasking, as all mothers do.\u00a0 I\u2019ve taken a magazine (that was bought a year ago and never read) to read while sitting outside to watch my kids ride their bikes\u2026. Sooo<\/i> doesn\u2019t work because I need to see my son do the same trick I\u2019ve seen maybe a million times before and if I don\u2019t\u00a0 look at him, I\u2019ll be nagged to \u00a0death.\u00a0 So there goes that plan.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t do it while I have my morning tea because I have my daughter watching Mickey Mouse, and God forbid I miss an episode of that!\u00a0 (Did you know that they repeat these darn programs every day?)\u00a0 Showering isn\u2019t relaxing either since I need to save time and do my bit for the earth; I shower my daughter with me.\u00a0 And her Barbie and the My Little Pony\u2026. Yep, gets a little crowded but we\u2019re all about keeping the toys hygienically clean and minty fresh!<\/p>\n

The only thing I have accomplished in chasing this phantom \u201cme-time\u201d is realising that it really is all up to me to make <\/i>the time.\u00a0 So maybe the Sunday afternoon stroll at the botanical gardens can be for Dad and his kids.\u00a0 (After all I do recall having not brought these kids into this world all by my awesome self!)\u00a0 It\u2019s bound to be more fun without mum anyway.\u00a0 And I can read the magazine or watch some mindless TV or go for the run that I\u2019ve been promising myself to do.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also recently started a once-a-month meet up with my friends.\u00a0 Sure we talk rubbish and laugh at ourselves but it\u2019s fun.\u00a0 And I\u2019m completely relaxed so that when I return to the chaos, I mean home, I am refreshed and ready to take anything on.\u00a0 (Maybe not the sudden midnight fevers but hey, mum\u2019s still the only one that has healing powers right?)<\/p>\n

Guilt-free!<\/h3>\n

The key thing to remember is that there\u2019s no reason to feel guilty about wanting some time out.\u00a0 Everyone needs some personal space, time away and a chance to just relax.\u00a0 Not all of us have great hobbies but that doesn\u2019t mean we\u2019re not entitled to time alone to just do nothing. \u00a0And it doesn\u2019t mean that we love our kids any less, it simply means that we\u2019re giving ourselves a much deserved break so that we can be better \u00a0and more engaged at being mothers.<\/p>\n

Now just to keep convincing myself of this and I\u2019m home free!<\/p>\n

Do you have any ideas on how you get to enjoy some me-time?<\/p>\n

This article was originally written for Jozikids by Fatima Kazee in 2013.<\/em><\/p>\n

Note: If you enjoyed this article, and would like to stay updated with more, you can:<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n