Ask nearly any mom the question, “so, how have you been?” …. and you’re likely to hear the word “busy” pop-up somewhere in her answer.
It’s just the way it is ….. most mums are busy ….. unless you know a mom who has time to sit on her bum all day, every day, while the hired help folds and puts away all that washing, prepares the meals, feeds the dog and scrubs skiddies off the bowl.
Mums juggle a lot – there are always things to do, things that still need doing, people to see, lists to write and sometimes there is even volunteering or paid employment to add to the pile too. It can be exhausting, rewarding yes … but nevertheless exhausting.
All work and no play for Mum can have a few consequences and cranky-mum-syndrome is just one of them. Good thing it’s preventable and treatable with a regular dose of self-care.
A mum’s day is long and we usually tend to the needs of the children, the partner, the pets and the household before considering some downtime and mum-fun. Yes, jobs need to get done and obligations must be met, but all work and no play can make for a dull mom indeed.
Once you’ve decided that self-care is essential to your well being (and yes, it is!) the spin-offs to the family will be easily seen. Woohoo, first step taken.
The second step is to now action plan a means of scheduling regular mom fun time into an already overloaded life. Could it be time to outsource some of the un-fun obligations to other family members? Can you afford to outsource the ironing or other household chores? What practical measures can you take to free yourself up a bit of you time?
Just for an example, if your idea of fun is watching action on the big screen, then plan a regular movie night with a friend. Tell the family that’s what you are doing, write it in the calendar, plan for it and then ENJOY it …. guilt free. Repeat process often and have yourself a great time. You deserve it.
You could even brainstorm your ultimate fun-list and then start creating opportunities to experience these things. And just for the record, in my books an hour’s peace and quiet with a great book IS fun, but it may not be your cup of tea so find what brings a smile to your face and squeeze as much of it into your routine as you can.
And of course what Mums Just Wanna Have Fun post would ever be complete without some Cyndi Lauper ….
So tell us, what’s YOUR fun and are you getting enough?
photo credit: colorblindPICASO via photopin cc
