How to be good to your children? Be good to yourself!
By Sally Leboy and Meredith O'Brien Canaan — Written on Aug 01, 2013
From Meredith O'Brien Canaan:
As a mother of a crazy active 2 year-old daughter, I find it difficult to find time for self-care; sometimes just fitting in a shower is a huge accomplishment. As a professional relationship coach and the creator of www.TheMommiesGame.com, I have integrated self-care into a weekly practice as a way to help remind myself and the other moms playing the game, that as hard as it may seem, sometimes putting ourselves first is one of the best things we can do for our family and children.
I tell my clients that love is something expressed in the actions that we take. That goes for the actions that we take for ourselves as well. So many of us think that to be Supermom, we always have to put our kids first, sacrificing our health and wellbeing for them. In reality, that does everyone more harm than good. If you are tired or hungry, you might be crankier and accidentally say or do something to your family that has a long-lasting negative impact. You're better off taking time and attention away from your kids and husband to do something nice for yourself when your batteries feel low.
Being a woman and a mother at the same time can be complicated. We often forget about who we are as individuals and lose ourselves in our kids. It's important to mix up the ways we take care of ourselves, to feed the different sides of who we are. Sometimes doing something social, like having a girls' night out is exactly what you need. Other days, a nice, quiet bath alone, is what will serve you best.
When you are refreshed, well fed and energized you have more to give and more patience, too. The time that you will be spending with family will be of a higher quality.
I realized this recently with my daughter, Mackenzie. I was working way more than usual, and I finally got to a point where I had to take time out for me. I took a long hot shower, and the next thing I knew, Mackenzie and I were running around in the back yard, as she chased me with the hose. We got soaked, rolled in the grass, and had so much fun together. She had my full attention and love. The smile she had on her face was priceless, and that was one great way to feed my soul.
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