Mama Renew

Self-care is important – whether our children are newborns or teens, it is a vital part of sustaining ourselves as women and mothers.  With my own children reaching new levels of independence,  I have been musing lately on the ways in which our relationship to self-care is shaped both by the age of our children and their unique needs.

One of the first lessons I learned as a new mother eight years ago was that everything will change.  Sleeping through the night? Oh, that one lasted maybe a week.   My baby that almost never cried?  Teething cured him of that…  Fascination with plugs and outlets?  Just a few anxiety-filled days.   With our boys now six and eight years old, I’ve seen enough stages and phases and things change that I thought would never change, to have absolute faith that we’ll need to adapt all over again one day soon.

Sometimes looking at the intensity of our parenting responsibilities it is easier to simply say “No – I don’t have time for self-care” – we slip into inertia under the assumption that what we dream of just isn’t possible.  Perhaps…the key to successful integration of self-care into our lives is when our plans are shaped by the reality of our life as a family rather than imposed upon it.

Take a careful look at your family rhythm and needs.  Look for the windows of time that you do have and get creative.  Know that the ways you are able to integrate self-care in your life right now are simply your current reality.

As your children grow, so will your range of options for what you are able to engage in for yourself.   Don’t let yourself wait for when it’s “easier” to make it happen – if you’re having trouble fitting self-care into your schedule then it is likely that you need it now more than ever!

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