Oh alone time, how I miss you! As a mom I spend almost 90% of my day with my kids and the other 10% sleeping, ok maybe not but you get the picture. I wake up to my two year old asking for milk and not long after the morning cries from my 4 month old begin. This has all happened by 6:30 am. Then I make breakfast and start feeding the baby. Then pretty much I am in baby and toddler mode until 1 pm when it is finally, I mean unfortunately nap time for the kids. After about 1-3 hours in bed the kids wake up and are ready for a snack and more mommy time. So when bed time comes around at 7 pm I am exhausted, stressed, overwhelmed and not wanting to be touched by any other human being, sorry honey.
So since this had become a regular daily routine for me I decided I needed to think of some ways I could get my alone time so that I could stay sane for my family and here are 5 ideas that I came up with:
1. Set up a schedule.
This is a new one for me. Today is the first day that I have been able to put my 4 month old baby down for a nap in his bed. Before today I was putting him in the swing, bouncer or holding him while he slept so he was always in the same room as me, so even if I was not holding him I was never technically alone. Now that he is sleeping in his crib, and that I have set up a schedule so him and his older sister take a nap at the same time in the afternoon, I have anywhere between 1-4 hours to myself to do whatever I want to do, which usually means I will be cleaning but at least my clothes won’t be magically unfolding themselves like they always seem to do when my two year old is awake.
2. Join a gym that includes child care.
I recently did this and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. The child care makes my membership a little more than if I were to join the gym without it but it is worth the extra money. It has been a big push for myself to go and work out and even if I don’t particularly like it, working out obviously has many positive side effects and I can have up to two hours during the three days a week I go to just be by myself to watch a show that does not star a talking/singing animal.
3. Pass the baby off to your husband if you are having a particularly rough day.
Believe me I know this is hard and can make us feel guilty because we just want to be able to let our husbands rest after a day full of working but we have had a day full of working too and we deserve to be able to pass the kids off every once in a while. Once you are alone in your room you can take the chance to take a bath, alone, with a book, music, candles, and those bath fizzes you have been hiding in the back of your bathroom drawer in hopes of this very day.
4. Set up playdate swaps with a friend.
What would a friend be for if you couldn’t use them to pawn your kids off on? Just kidding! But in all seriousness this is an awesome thing. If you have a mom friend then they are probably dying for some alone time just like you are so they will jump at any opportunity at the chance of getting some just like I am sure you would. This could be something that happens every week or maybe just once a month but some alone time is better than none.
5. Go on a vacation just for mommy and daddy.
This one is the hardest to do but I am desperately craving it and cannot wait for our 5 year anniversary when we are planning on going on a cruise for a week and dumping the kids off at the grandparent’s. So the kids will get a fun week with Grandma and Grandpa, and my husband and I will get a relaxing vacation to help us recharge until our next mommy and daddy vacation.
Of course some of these ideas are harder than others, like joining a gym or going on a vacation, but they are all perfect ways to get that most needed mommy alone time that we all crave and need, I know I go CRAZY during the whole week if I don’t get it. So try one, two, three or all of these ideas out and let me know how they go and how much you enjoyed your time to yourself!
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