Stay-at-Home Mom: Self Care Day
Being a stay at home mom is the most rewarding yet demanding job I’ve ever had. As most good moms do, I found myself ruminating on whether or not I was doing enough for my kids. Are they having too much screen time? Did they get enough nutrition today? Did I switch the laundy over so that their pj’s are dry by bedtime? And then comes bedtime. By the time you’ve done their bedtime routine and tucked everyone in, you’re exhaused. It’s time for you to go to bed but you want quiet time for yourself and next thing you know, it’s 10:30pm. Burnt out. My brain was burnt out with thinking and concern and I thought there HAS to be a way to be a stay at home mom and take care of myself. In the past, I’ve taught DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy) and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and one of my favorite tips for patients was to practice the 5 senses exercises. To have something you can taste, smell, see, hear and touch that you enjoy. I sat with a pen and paper, jotting down the tasks thorugh the day and thought..what if I apply this to my children? And in what ways can we do this together? And it came to me. I wondered how all this time I haven’t thought of this. And after three months of family self care days, I feel it’s safe to share this super successful hack with you!
If your spouse has a monday-friday work week, I find it works best to do this on Wednesday. It really helps break up the week for us. The exception to this is if another day of the week the weather will be bad, then that day would be best.
First thing in the morning:
Breakfast
Everyone takes a bath or shower. Afterwards, they’ll put on their comfiest clothing (pj’s and socks).
Grab your blanket, pillow and favorite stuffed animal to bring with you into the living room (or whichever room your tv is in).
Have the kids take turns choosing which movie to watch. And momma, this is when (if you can) you go and take a quick shower. Even if it’s a one minute rinse, it’ll make you feel good. And then girl, you go and put your favorite comfy clothes and socks on too! Some days I’ll rub their backs or feet and tell them “this is how we can take care of body! Isn’t this just so relaxing?”.
Have your favorite snacks and drinks on this day. It just makes it all that more exciting. We usually have different types of cookies and homemade hot cocoa. The kids love this and I can tell they think it’s just so special! You can also do themed days or special snacks like “gummy worms in dirt” to make it even more exciting!
Inbetween movies we like to go outside and play and we discuss how being outside and getting fresh air is a way of taking care of yourself as well.
Momma’s not guilt on this day for letting your kids have screen time. For best results in your kids attention span and watching the movies, I reccommend limiting screen time on the other days because it makes self care day all the more special. My kids are always excited for self care day and look forward to it each week. This gives me time to relax, paint my nails, read a book or catch up on my favorite tv show. It truly helps to fill my cup and I’ve noticed I am less stressed through the week because I’m providing myself with that much needed self care during the week that would otherwise have not been done. If you’re reading this, remember you are a great mom and these are memories that will last a lifetime with your children.
