Stay-at-Home Moms: Taking Care of Yourself

By Leslie Pleasants

Where to begin....  If you are a stay-home-mom you know exactly how I feel.  You get up at the crack of dawn to demanding kids.  When all you want is that first sip of coffee and peace and quiet for just 5 minutes.  You try to take a shower as kids keep coming in the bathroom to tattle on one another.  The running around, attempting to put on makeup as you have half a face on while you are making breakfast.  Kids are telling you that you look funny.  The crying, whining, "I want", "but mom", "NO!".  All of this and its not even 8am yet.   Where is the husband you might ask??  Oh, he had a peaceful shower and now he is on his way to work by HIMSELF where he will spend the next 8 hours sitting in a quiet office alone and making money. 

I will not complain about my life at all.  Right?  Right!  I do love my children and my husband (even though I can get just a smidge jealous of him sometimes).... but I do have a wonderful life.  Wouldn't change it for anything.  Ok... maybe a maid once a week.   But the truth and sad thing is that my "alone" time... my "mommy" time...  is going to the grocery store after my husband comes home from work.   How exciting is that?  I do love to shop though... but how did going to Fred Meyers become my peaceful time of my day?   Hmmm.....
Stay-at-Home Moms is a 24/7 job.  You cook, clean, shop, teach, love, laugh and the most important live. Because you make everything happen.  You are the core to the family.   Sometimes I feel like I am just doing nothing with my life.   I feel like I am just cleaning house all day long.... and it still isn't clean.  When I really need to look at the bigger picture and see that what I am doing is more then just cleaning.  I am providing a stable, healthy, loving family atmosphere.  That I am there for my children and husband.  
I do realize though that you can't just keep going and doing the same thing over and over and over every day.  You will put yourself in a unhappy place.  You need to take care of yourself.  Just like if you were in an airplane and the Flight Attendant tells you to put the air mask on you first then your children.  You need to take care of yourself first in order for you to take care of your family. 

If only we were all rich and could all go get pedicures together.  Wouldn't that be nice!!  But once in awhile we can splurge.  I get my hair colored and cut (every few months)... but other then that I don't spend very much on myself.  I would rather spend money on the kids or house.  

The thing is... you don't have to spend money to take care of yourself.  It could be as simple as grabbing a book and driving down to a lake.  Sitting in your car and reading a book.   Or taking a girlfriend to a movie(ok that one cost money).  How about the husband taking the kids out and you enjoying yourself at home and you can scrapbook by yourself.  We all like different things so whatever you enjoy doing....   DO IT!! Once a month(or more!)...  put it in the calendar.   MOMMY TIME!

Here are some groups or websites to help you find groups if you don't belong to one already or get your girlfriends together and start your own group.   Start a Bunco group or once a month go out for coffee.  Just make sure you make time for yourself. 

MOPS 

Meetup

.   The Mommies Network

Moms Club

Raising Them

Parenting Resources