Like most parents, you probably keep pushing your own needs to the bottom of the list, telling yourself you’ll get to them when you get the chance. Well, I'm not sure where we all went to comedy school, but as parents, this “chance” isn’t exactly knocking down our doors demanding attention. While the "I'll take care of me later" approach is well-intended, the impact leaves you drained and unhappy.
We have the best (not easiest) job on the planet! We're in charge of raising happy, healthy little humans. If we don't make it a priority to care for our own health and happiness too, it simply won't happen. Caring for yourself shapes your own wellbeing and also benefits your child. They get to experience the best version of you as their parent, and to see a real-world example of self-care practiced in adulthood. Self-care isn't selfish. It's necessary. It's what builds healthy, happy families and stops the cycles of generational trauma.
Can you imagine the amount of internal healing and peace you could gain, if you started showing up for yourself with even half the determination and grit you somehow summon for your kids every morning? Five hours of sleep (if you’re lucky), a long day ahead of you, someone trying to feed the cat spaghetti, someone screaming because their pants are stuck on their head, and all by 8 a.m. Yet you do it. You love them. You care for them. Rain or shine. Day in and day out. Seriously. Imagine what you could do for you.