I’m having a hard time finding balance in my life lately. I’m not finding time to exercise without the children–and I’m not making space to exercise with them along. 
Between school cancellations and stomach bugs, I’ve had a hard time getting childcare to get my part-time work done.
My baby is getting his canine teeth, and so he’s not sleeping. And so I’m not sleeping.
It’s all adding up to a really tough time parenting right now. Do you ever get into a phase where you feel stuck? By the time I recognize it, I’m already really deep down into a funk. The other pieces of me are having to wait while the Mom piece of me works overtime, and I need to find some balance soon or I’m going to be a miserable Mama.
I know it’s extremely important to claim time for myself. Also, it’s important for our family’s budget for me to get my work done!
I made a plan for today and hope it can be a sort of reset for me. We’re having freezer pizza for dinner, and I’m going to drag some weights into the back yard later. It’s a nice day and my boys can (hopefully!) play in the yard while I move my body a little bit. Even if I’m just casually lifting, just a little bit, I know I’ll feel better.
I’m also going to bed at 9pm tonight. So let it be written, so let it be done–I will not watch a zillion episodes of Friends to unwind once I get the boys to sleep. I will not sit on Facebook for an hour after I climb into bed just to connect with other adult humans.
That way, when the boys are up before dawn, I’ll be better able to greet the day. And maybe, maybe, I can go for a walk before my husband leaves for work. Alone! I’m letting the hope of that alone time with Roman Mars on my iPod carry me through the day.
How do you reset and find balance when you’re in the thick of a parenting marathon? Leave us a comment to share your experience.
Image Source: Yuri Samoilov via Flickr
