the balance

I recently started subscribing to a fairly new magazine, Parenting - School Years, and I'm really enjoying it. I find each issue really, truly has articles that apply to my life as a mom, as a wife and as a woman. I've even gotten some good recipes.

I was reading the most recent issue yesterday while waiting for Logan's speech therapy class to end, and came across an article regarding the importance of giving ourselves a break from parenting from time to time.

The article went on to talk about making the same labor laws applicable for stay home moms. For every eight hours you work, you're entitled to a half hour lunch (yea, right) and two 20 minute breaks (um, yea okay). If you're a stay at home mom with no help, you work 16 hours a a day with few very thank you's or kudos. That means you have 14 hours of "you time" a week coming to you. Now I don't think 14 hours is realistic every week around my house every week. But I do think its so important to give yourself a break from parenting, in order to be a better parent. I know when I even spend a couple of hours by myself running errands or reading a book or walking, I free up some mental space so I can come back more focused and patient.

The same article said its particularly hard for some working moms to decide to spend time apart from their kids, when they're away from them so much already. But working doesn't give you all you need to feel human, and working brings home the bacon which is another form of caring for children. Working moms (and dads) still need to do lots for themselves outside our their job, and outside of being a parent. The trick, of course, is fitting it all in. There are houses to clean, lawns that need mowed, cars that need oil changes, empty refrigerators that need filled, meals that need cooked, pets that need cared for, social and family functions to attend, birthday presents to buy, doctors appointments and piles of laundry.

It isn't always easy finding a balance when somedays it seems like everyone elses' needs come before our own. Its something you have to constantly work on, and set time for. I have struggled with this since becoming a mom and its something I hope I can continue to improve. I have to remind myself, I can be a better mom if sometimes, I can just remember to put myself first.