You’re a mom! Congratulations! As you embark on the life-long journey of being a mother, you can’t help but love your kids and want to be there for them at all times. However, there is an important line that needs to be established.
Being there for your children 100 percent of the time can mean that your personal time can get left out of the equation. Your sense of self can be drowned out if you’re a woman trying to juggle playdates, homework and bath time. At this point, your only form of entertainment are your child’s favorite cartoons.
So to avoid getting yourself stuck in this situation, here are four things that you can do to maintain your individuality, which will, in return, make you a better mother.
Every mom wants to be the perfect mom, but as most people know, it’s impossible to be perfect 100 percent of the time. Trying to be perfect can weigh heavily on anyone. Giving yourself some time to be less than perfect will make you a better mom. So go ahead, have that glass of wine; you’ll feel better for it.
This may seem like a strange statement, but it’s important. Setting the boundary of making going to the bathroom “mommy time” will let you have a moment to breathe. It establishes an important privacy line between you and your kid. They will learn to understand and you will get a few quiet moments in each day.
It can be your job, trying out that new hobby you’ve been eyeing, or reading something other than a picture book. Focusing on your own intellectual and creative development rather than just your kids’ is important. You may be a mommy but you are also your own person. “Feeding your brain” outside of mommy mode will remind you of this.
Don’t forget that you are a sexual creature and that you can still have desires. Just because you have a baby doesn’t mean you can’t still be the sexual being you were before having kids. So, do what makes you feel sexy! Whether it’s date night with your significant other, going out with your girls, or playing adult dress-up, go for it! Your motherhood doesn’t negate your sexuality!
