Taking some time to myself

There are two things that I did not expect when becoming a parent. One is to love someone so much more than you could have ever imagined. Loving part came so easy, in fact, this love made many other things disappear in my perception. My only wish has become for my little daughter to grow to be a happy and healthy person who genuinely loves this world and its inhabitants. And her smile makes me want to be a better version of myself to share the joy of being with her!

With all the wonderful whirlwind of events that came with being a parent the second unexpected thing came with it was being a bit tired. Parenthood is a marathon that lasts as long as your children need you. You can have a little break here and there, but you always are alert and aware that your actions, moods and words leave a lasting impression on your kids. With that sense of responsibility it is very natural that at some point you start feeling tired. As a natural progression of being tired comes moodiness and luck of focus the two things you can not afford while being a parent.

When that happened to me, I discovered that taking a little time to myself would cure that unwanted side effect of parenthood :) Sometimes I only need no more than 30 minutes to take a walk, to jog, to go to a coffeeshop to read something or even just do nothing and stay present in the moment. This would charge my batteries to be a “present” parent and simply a better human being. Realizing that has freed me of feeling guilt of needing that time and the fact that I did feel tired. Being guilty and exhausted is not productive and it is not good for you or your family. Your children and spouse deserve a happy version of you that sometimes is so easy to achieve by taking that time to yourself. So go on, have a little moment of joy and make sure to share it with your loved ones!