How to Find Time for Some Mommy Me Time? (We All Know We Need It)

Last updated on January 17th, 2020 at 06:47 am

Mommy-Time

When you are a mom, time is your enemy, especially when it comes to your house routine – it is truly a war to fight. When you hear “Moooommyyy” early in the morning, the battle with time begins. You get out of your bed, make a double coffee and Heeeere We Gooo! Breakfast, school, job, market, homework, playground, 24/7 cartoon party… and so on, and so on. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you know for sure  – to be prepared, is half of the victory.

Now, you probably wonder what the hell I am talking about, right?! Don’t worry, I have an idea how to win your daily time battles. Every soldier needs some free time “to recharge the batteries”, and being a mom is the same thing as being a soldier. Double trouble, girl! So how to find some “Mommy” time and allow yourself to unwind? Especially if you are currently tandem nursing, you will be crying out for some me time! But even if you aren’t, I know I need it, you know you need it, every mom knows she needs it. So, how do we make it work?

I was reading through some other blogs the other day about Mom’s being tired, frustrating and lacking energy. After reading quite a few of these over and over, it actually sparked the idea as to why I should blog about this topic more often. Parents are putting themselves under so much pressure (including myself and Layla) and we are constantly ‘running of out time’. With a combination of this and much more, we simple aren’t devoting enough time (if any at all) to looking after ourselves as parents.

This blog post, in particular, really struck a heart string with me, parenting frustrations by MommyWanders.com. It’s honest, raw and completely normal as a parent to be feeling this way, and it’s something that I think we are all guilty of. When things become tough, everything can spiral out of control pretty quickly. So the aim of today’s blog post is for all of you here reading this, take my advice and take some time out for yourself. And don’t feel guilty about it.

Take Advantage of the Afternoon Naps

Let’s be honest, we adore our special creatures (yes, I am talking about the kids), but sometimes they are a real pain in the a.., especially before their afternoon nap, for example. So, how to get the best out of this situation?  You need to stay calm, keep your blood pressure down, settle the kids in the bed or babies in their crib and then spend the next two hours in the bathroom. No, no, no, not cleaning – Enjoying it.

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First, pick up the baby toys from the bathtub. Then, fill the bathtub with the hot water until the end, you only live once so don’t be sorry. Don’t re-think it. Don’t feel bad. Let the magic happen – prepare yourself for an unforgettable bubble and spa treatment, and escape from reality through wonderful scents of bath bombs. I can recommend the LifeAround2Angels Bath Bombs Gift Set because it really is THE BOMB.

I always thought that self-care and stress management were kind of the same thing. But what I’ve come to realize (through the help of Moms Balanced Life, in particular this article about stress management) is that they are two different things. But what is important to understand that in order for you to manage your stress properly, you need to give yourself proper self care! And ladies, that is what this article today is all about. Nurturing your inner soul so you can nurture your little beings and husband better aswell! By giving yourself adequate self care, you can handle stress better in everyday situations as they arise.

Plan Your Meals Up Front

I know this sounds obvious, but I still know so many parents to this day that still don’t prepare their meals on one day of the week to last the entire week – and that includes baby food! For example, I plan our meals for my husband and I and make my own organic homemade baby food (the only way is with my baby food maker of course!) usually on a Sunday for the entire week. This gives me a chance to have the list of all the necessary ingredients and do one grocery shopping session instead of 6 or 7. Believe me, this saves you SOOO much time because you don’t have to worry if you have everything for the lunch! And, guess what? You will have free time to do what you like.

Finding-Your-Own-Time-as-a-Mom

So, sharpen up the pencil, make the list, grab the tote bag, and hit your favorite market, come back home and start cooking! I keep telling my girlfriends, organization is the key. When you have a clear plan a week upfront, mommy time becomes a possibility. I came across this post on Mommy Mornings which has some good information on how to organize yourself by time blocking all through the day including allocating time to do our useful tasks such as cleaning and cooking, but also ensuring that you include some of your own time to yourself – Mommy Time!

De-Synchronize Your Sleeping Schedules

Synchronized sleeping schedules might have worked when your kids were newborns, but now that they are toddlers or (I am afraid to even say it)… young children… your sleeping schedule should not match theirs. If you are lucky and your kids are late sleepers, get used to waking up a few hours before them.

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I discovered that if I get up two or three hours before my little “masters” open their eyes, I have a chance to have my morning coffee in peace, while checking the latest news on Facebook, or texting with my other early-bird mom girlfriends. Also, if during the day you get a chance to grab a 20 minute shuteye, grab it! It will refresh you and give you a chance to watch a movie with your hubby after the kids are asleep, instead of crashing into the bed with kids, dead tired. There is small opportunities throughout the day to create more of your own time, just like how Jessica from SaneMomma explains about the importance of scheduling nap times to create a daily self care routine for yourself as a Mom.

Make a “What I Want” Checklist

I will bet my entire week of mommy time that if I asked you this moment, what would you do if you somehow got a few hours for yourself, you wouldn’t know what to tell me. Am I right? It seems that after the kids arrive, we forget what are the things or activities that brought us joy before we became moms…But, it doesn’t have to be like that!

What-a-Mom-wants-to-do

Get your thinking pen and notebook, and take some time to write down everything that brings you joy (without the kids!). So, next time you grab 5, 15, half an hour, or even a few hours of free time, you have the right ideas ready for action! I read about this blog post the other day and this awesome Mom, really sums it up right in her blog post about Taking Joy In The Little Things.

Mall Playrooms are a Blessing!

I can’t even begin to describe how I love supervised playrooms in shopping malls! And, the kids love them too. The upper mentioned method goes a whole lot easier if you don’t have one or two screaming toddlers pulling your pants because they saw a toy store or God knows what else. Therefore, smart people have invented playrooms with supervision. The kids will play and even forget that you exist, while you do your grocery shopping, or any other kind of shopping for that matter, in peace.

Enjoying-Your-Own-Time-as-a-Parent

MOM TIP: If you can leave the hubby in the playroom or in a coffee shop, shopping will turn into a great “Me” afternoon.

As a blogger myself, I am always looking for new inspiration in the mom atmosphere online and off. One of my favorite mom resources right now is aledomoms. Always one to inspire women, I love what this blog is all about.

Strength in Numbers!

You are not alone in this chaotic mommy universe! And, there’s no one that will better understand your desire to talk other than toddler language than another mother, or even better, mothers! So, the sooner you realize that the strength lies in numbers, the sooner you will have those mind relaxing gossip parties. Connect with other mothers from your neighborhood and organize play dates in the park or at your own place. Multiple sets of eyes are better than just a pair, and keeping an eye on little “angels” becomes much easier and gives you a chance to relax for at least a little.

Mothers-group

MOM TIP: Take turns in watching the kids. For example, two moms can stay focused on all of the kids while the rest of you drink coffee and chat.

Women are Born for Multitasking

If there’s something that women are best at, it’s multitasking. Even men will admit that! Now, if all other options fail, there’s always the “I can do both!” attitude. For example, you can take the little ones out for a stroller “walk” and listen to your favorite music or an audio book on an iPod. Or, if you need to let off some steam, but don’t have where to drop off the kids, consider getting a kids bike trailer so that you can pedal the stress away while the kids enjoy in the back.Multitasking-as-a-mom-to-find-more-time

Please don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with my kids, but, from time to time, I also love having time to do something other than kids because I can recharge my batteries and be an even better mom for my kids. And, I am pretty sure you will agree with me on this one.

Anna About Anna

Hi Moms and Dads, Anna here and welcome. I'm a relatively young mom, in my early 30's and my husband and I have 2 young (and incredibly cheeky) children. With my first child, I was confused about absolutely anything that had 'baby' written on it. I felt flustered and overwhelmed. For some Moms I believe it comes naturally, for others it takes a bit of work and patience, and the latter was me. With my second child, all those first round nervous flusters were gone and I approached everything ease, although I do admit, in between 2 children, baby products and my needs and wants had changed and in the baby/infant world, things change very quick and products that were suggested a few years back are now out of date, recalled or just not suitable no more. So it's not only your little bub that grows; products change and the needs and wants of your baby and you change also.

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