This post was written on January 1, 2010. I was going through all my archives and saw that I had written this before my blog was ever made “public.” It’s amazing to see where I have come in a year, being overwhelmed with an 8 month old to feeling like life is really easy with a 19 month old. I have more free time, more energy, he’s sleeping so much better, and I definitely have been able to go do a lot more for myself since this post was written.
Do you know how crucial “me time” is? I never did until I had a kid. Before the baby, I took all my free time for granted. I can no longer decide to go somewhere and just go; leaving my house is a HUGE ordeal now! I have to get the baby dressed, make sure the baby is fed, make sure the car is warm, make sure I have the diaper bag, make sure the diaper bag is full, make sure I have the car seat, make sure I have a blanket, make sure I haven’t lost my mind before I put myself behind the wheel…
It’s exhausting just to do a simple task. I know all the mothers/fathers are feeling me right now, especially the new parents. I totally took it for granted that running to the grocery store was such a simple task. Did you know that running out to grab something to eat used to be simple? That it is still simple for some people? I feel like I need to sleep for days after a drive thru at Wendy’s.
Anyways…Me time. Tonight I was actually able to have some of my first me time. It was amazing and so simple. I walked to my car carrying nothing but my keys & a purse. I started the car, with no one screaming their heads off because they were mad at me for putting them in their car seat, and I headed out of the garage to go do whatever I wanted to do for however long I wanted to (actually, I only had 2 hours, but still, it felt like FOREVER!)
Once I got home and walked back through my door I was greeted with two smiling faces and a puppy who was licking my feet to death. It was the greatest feeling. It was as though 132 minutes (the length of the movie I went to see) had completely lifted 7 months worth of anxiety, exhaustion, and stress. I felt like I could take on the world.
And that is exactly what I did once I got home…I took on the world, my world, one small task at a time. I cooked supper for my husband & me, fed & bathed the baby, gave the dog a bone, kept the baby from crawling out the doggy door, kept the baby from pulling the Christmas tree on top of himself, kept the baby from eating the dog’s food, etc etc etc….
So…to all you moms/dads out there who haven’t taken your “me time” in a while. Get back to it! Go do something for yourselves, go do something completely selfish, something you and only you enjoy. It will save your marriage, it will save your sanity, it will make you feel like a human being again.
And if you aren’t a parent yet, don’t take your time for granted! Go do something fun-even if it’s simple! Go now!
Thank you and to you too!
It does get easier! I loved, loved having Lboy & thought he was the most precious baby I'd ever laid eyes on, but I was totally overwhelmed when he was younger!
Happy New Year!!!