On Me Time In Motherhood

Any parent who through need or choice stays at home with their children will know that it can be exhausting at times. Between snacks and nappies and naps and ‘mine!’ it’s a 24/7 job that – just sometimes – you wish you could escape from. As a work-at-home (WAHM) – yes, we all have our acronyms now!- or even before that a stay-at-home mum (SAHM) I’ve at times longed for the peace and quiet of office life!

What a SAHM and a WAHM mother have in common though, is that sometimes we’re so busy being all things to our children – entertainer, cook, playmate and general dogsbody– and when the babies doesn’t need our attention, ‘free time’ for most of us is filled with one or another chore or job on the to-do list.

But we all know that taking a few minutes’ time out for ourselves can be really beneficial and leave us feeling refreshed and ready to get back into supermama role. Whether your penchant lies with Facebook games and you’re one of those who sends every friend game requests – they love it really (not) – or you just spend all your free time browsing the web, or playing Lexulous (is that still around? I was pregnant and on bed rest the last time I played it!) there’s something for everyone out there.

Before kids my girl friends and I would occasionally have a night out at a local bingo hall. Very occasionally mind – we’d normally get stuck at the wine bar across the road, but it would be a good night either way. These days that’s not an option, but online bingo is a fun way to wile away the hours that could be spent doing that thing with a hot implement on a flat board that un-creases clothes. (Yes, I know it’s ironing. I’m trying to make a point).

You have to be disciplined to only use the bingo bonus (at Winner Bingo, there’s a £40 bonus available for anyone who deposits £10 in the first week of registering an account, so it’s worth taking advantage of. Other sites like Gala and 888bingo offer similar welcome deals, so it’s a good idea to look at a few sites before deciding where to play. Or try them all and stretch your pennies…everything in moderation.

Or you know, you could lie in the bath and ponder the state of everything. I end up worrying about all the things my kids don’t do -ballet, horse riding, foreign languages, do they eat enough Omega 3? Too much? – so I avoid long baths, but you know, to each their own.

My favourite way to get ‘me time’ is to escape to a local nonprofit coffee shop with a book – normally something I’m reviewing or reading to help me be better at this parenting lark, so how much of a time off it really is I don’t know, but at least it’s valuable and productive, and for the most part, no one quibbles, throws stuff, or random shrieks around me. 30 minutes of that is pretty much a full blown holiday these days.

Whatever takes your fancy, make sure you make some time for you, mamas. You cant look after others if you can’t look after yourself.