Mama, your time is precious too

They grow up so fast. You really need to soak in every second!

You hear this refrain nothing short of a thousand times when you are raising children. The laundry, the dishes, the dirty floor—it can all wait. Those babies are too precious and the days pass by too quickly. You need to spend time with your kids, to appreciate these moments before they are gone. 

And they are right—the days do pass quickly. There is absolutely no denying it. You blink and they have grown another inch, reached another milestone. These moments are precious.

Related: Just do the dishes. Please. The kids will be fine.

But you know what else is precious? Your time.

You have 24 hours each day, but somehow they pass without you stealing a single second for yourself. Your mornings are filled with chaos as you pack lunches and argue over shoes. Your afternoon is to the brim with soccer practice and swim lessons. Your evenings are overflowing with chicken nugget dinners and Goodnight Moon.

Self-care is honoring your needs and remembering that you deserve a place on the priority list.

And those tasks only account for your children. Add time in the office, grocery shopping, the overdue teeth cleaning, and the fourth load of laundry (that day) to the list—your days are gone before “self-care” even becomes a thought.

To add salt to the ever-growing wound, mainstream media insinuates that even the most minute of tasks counts as self-care.

You took a shower today? Self care.

You enjoyed a full breakfast? Self care.

You went to bed on time? Self care.

Sure, these things may feel good and contribute to your overall well-being—hygiene, nutrition, and sleep are important. But self-care? Absolutely not. Those tasks are simply meeting basic human needs.

Related: Errands and showers are not self-care for moms 

Self-care is taking an hour-long bath while reading for book club and indulging in a glass of wine. It’s picking up iced coffee on the way to your afternoon hair appointment. It’s Taco Tuesday with too many chips and a margarita with your friends. It’s binge-watching Netflix’s newest mystery series while savoring salted truffles. It’s lacing up your tennis shoes and dedicating an hour each day to the workout of your choice. 

It’s consistent, planned, intentional. 

Take the time before it’s twenty years later, and you are left wondering who you are without your children.

Self-care is honoring your needs and remembering that you deserve a place on the priority list. It’s understanding that the only way to fill your children’s cups is to pour into your own. It’s knowing your happiness is meaningful and important, that it makes you a better mom. 

Because the way people tell you to think about your kids—about their time—is true for you, too. 

Related: Self-care for moms is essential, but moms are doing it wrong

If you blink, you will miss it. You will never be this young ever again. These years are precious.

Take the time before it’s twenty years later, and you are left wondering who you are without your children. Invest in your health—both physical and mental. Prioritize your relationships—with your partner, your siblings, your friends. Develop your own interests, cultivate your passions. 

You matter, mama. Make yourself a priority on the list, because these years are precious and they absolutely will go by too fast.

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