Being a parent has its perks, it’s one of the most beautiful experiences that life throws at you. In general, parenting can be a gift. Unfortunately, due to societal expectations, there’s always this guilt that lingers if your child isn’t perfect, if your family isn’t perfect, or if you’re not perfect. It can be painful, having to question if there’s something wrong, and what it might be. You’re trapped into thinking that you either have to look like a perfect Instagram mom or you’re always wearing sweats in a bun. For one, you can be both of those moms, and two don’t let others, especially society dictate how you should feel.
It truly can be tough being a parent, especially a mother thanks to all of the guilt and expectations that’s been placed. This even goes for self-care as well. Everyone needs self-care, but there’s this lingering expectation that parents, especially mothers, don’t need it. News flash, everyone needs self-care. Self-care can come in a variety of forms. Advertising and social media have led to the idea that self-care is about skincare routines, chocolates, and bubble baths. While these can be nice aspects of self-care, it runs far deeper than just treating yourself to a box of chocolates.
Parents tend to put their children before themselves, this can be a very good thing of course. It shows how much you love your children, your dedication to being a nurturing parent. But this also means that there are sacrifices, sometimes even too many sacrifices which then affect sleep and the decline in health. It’s so important to focus on self-care habits, as these are going to affect your mind, body, and soul. These are some helpful tips for managing taking care of yourself while you’re still out there being a good parent.
Never feel guilty for your needs
Parents are great at making themselves feel bad for not putting in enough time or effort into doing other things that may have needed to be done. In general, even the burden of constant guilt is going to have plenty of emotional health challenges. Caring about yourself and caring properly for yourself is going to tackle mental health issues that may be expensive and it can help prevent any issues such as stress from getting worse.
You want to improve your mentality, so thinking more about yourself is going to do just that. It can be a bit difficult to do but you should begin to tell yourself that your health matters. You’re not a bad parent or person for taking care of yourself.
If you’re wanting to help others, such as taking care of your children, then your mind and body are going to be healthy in order to do so. So begin by taking breaks, we all need breaks, you deserve to take a break. Maybe try to get some sleep, read a book, or even take that buddle bath.
Try and get some sleep
You need to get a better night’s sleep. Sleep is what will stabilize your mood, make you think clearly, and in general help, you feel better both physically and mentally. Parents and lack of sleep often go hand in hand. You’ve probably seen more than enough memes on social media about how little sleep parents get, right? It sadly is one of the facts in life that as a parent, you’re not going to get much sleep until your child is around the age of six or seven.
Your sleep matters and you need it. If you have a baby, you can try to have the baby in the same room with you, even next to you in a crib. This way, when they wake up, you don’t want to get up and walk into another room. You can immediately tend to their needs and go back to sleep. You should also have a talk with your partner about taking shifts. The burden shouldn’t be entirely on you, and this work needs to be balanced out by the both of you.
Try and talk with your child
It may depend on the age of your child, but you should try to talk to them. Again, this may depend on their age but it gives them the chance to learn about other people’s feelings and responsibilities as well. It also doesn’t hurt to get a head start on teaching them responsibilities such as picking up toys and cleaning up their messes.
Think about the little things that make you feel good
So what are some things that put a smile on your face? Maybe you had something on your wish list? Maybe you have any goals you’re wanting to achieve? Even a certain food craving? Just think about some things that can physically and mentally make you feel better.
