Time Out!

“You only get 18 summers – make them count.”  “The days are long but the years are short.”  “The best thing you can give your children is TIME.”

Those are popular quotes to reinforce how important it is to make the most of your parenting years when your children are growing up.  But on those long days when you don’t even get to go to the bathroom by yourself treasuring every single second is not what you are feeling!  Counting down the hours to bedtime is more like it!

When our kids were young my husband and I enrolled in a parenting class with a group of people we knew.  It helped to share experiences and ideas.  The best advice we received was, “You can’t nurture from an empty vessel.”  You have to make sure you are taking some time for yourself – even if it’s only 5 minutes to read a chapter of a book or listen to music or take a walk.  Remind yourself parenting is hard work and that you’re doing the best you can as a parent and cut yourself the same amount of slack that you would cut a friend.  Your kids will be the better for it – and you will benefit, too!

As Dr. Benjamin Spock said, “Trust yourself.  You know more than you think you do.”  And trust your inner voice that tells you when you need time for yourself.

Good advice

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