how do you find time for your self

[needabreak]

I have been so busy i have finnaly had time to sit down.I could not get no time to my self latley.i mean i finnaly had time to sit down now for awhile.i bet it wont last long.ussaly my mom would take my easy child for awhile then i would only have difficult child but he dont even want to leave my side.i love my children so much but boy do i need a break.sleep,a long bath,anything im not picky.so how do you all get a break?well i guess breaks over kids are up,check in later hope every one has a great evening.please someone take a break for me.lol,lol. :bath:

 

[Liahona]

I run away. Actually, I leave the house to go exercise while husband has the kids (about 1 hour). Then from bedtime to about 1 am I'm on the computer. (I'm trying to lessen this, but it increases when I'm stressed.) Also, if difficult child 1 is really bad and I've got to go to the bathroom (or get dressed ect...) I lock him in his room. The rest of the time difficult child 1 is with me.

 

[tiredmommy]

Take out your calendar and mark off time. I find it's easier when it's a commitment for outside the home. I use altar guild because it's very serene and gets me away from the family. But you could use just about anything, I suppose, that takes you out of the chaos for awhile.

 

[timer lady]

I agree with TM - you have to set up the "me" time. It's important to not burn out or get stretched too thin. :bath:

 

[Pam R]

I also schedule "me" time in. Sometimes it's writing in things I want to do on the calendar. Sometimes it's just taking the few minutes or couple hours that comes along.

But you have to be serious about it and defend the time if necessary. It is really critical for me to find "me" time. It not only recharges the batteries, but it's also good for mental health.

Taking care of both mental, and physical, health is VERY important for me. If I do not, I very quickly will not be able to take care of anyone else. So it has the highest priority for me.

Calendar "me" time can be going to listen to music, attending a lecture on something I'm interested in, or going for Reiki treatments or attending support group meetings.

Going anywhere means planning ahead, as I can't drive and rely on husband or friends for rides. So hopping in the car and doing something spur of the moment does not happen.

We have NO physical support system, so it gets tricky trying to find time and working out the logistics. Fortunately DS is now 16 and we've been able to leave him alone for short periods during the last year. But before that, we NEVER left him alone.

husband would take him with him so I could have some peace. And he got his time by going deepsea fishing. As he was mobile, he could jump in the car and go somewhere.

Homeschooling means 24/7/365, much like when we had the boarding stable going. But you could leave the horses alone for hours at a time and not worry they'd burn the barn down. LOL

And finding "sitters" for the horses turned out to be easier than finding one for DS. :hammer:

So, schedule up yourself some "me" time. :warrior:

Pam R.

 

[SearchingForRainbows]

I also agree with the others. Time for yourself is just as important, if not more so in certain ways, as the time you spend with difficult child or doing things for difficult child. If you are STRESSED to the max, it makes it that much harder to do what you have to do for difficult children.

Take out your calender and make time for yourself. At times when I can't do this, I either get up earlier than everyone else or go to bed later than everyone else. I find that I need quiet, peaceful alone time in order to deal with all of the STRESS I'm constantly under as I try to handle one crisis after another, etc., with difficult children.

I find that exercise helps me more than anything else. For this reason, if I only have time for one thing, exercise is it. I have equipment in my basement.

I usually exercise after I get the kids up and fed before school. I have husband make sure they get out the door on time. husband drives difficult child 1 to school prior to work. I'm lucky in the sense that I can make my own work hours.

When my kids were younger, I used to use the tv as a "babysitter" when I needed to. I'de pop in a favorite video and talk on the phone while keeping my eye on them. I also used their nap times to unwind. Sometimes I let the house go!!!

Also, I used to put the kids to bed about an hour earlier than they really needed to go to sleep. They used to have "quiet reading time." I was lucky because they got used to this. They never had a choice. It was survival for me!!!

When all else failed, I used to put them all in their carseats, listen to some favorite music, get a cup of coffee at the drive-thru, and take the kids on a "ride to nowhere." This was sometimes (lots of times, the only way I could get any PEACE!!!)

I also make plans ahead of time and have husband watch the kids. Sometimes this ends up backfiring on me because husband has lots less patience than I do!!! This always gets me so :grrr:!!!

Anyway, if nothing else, sometimes just taking a long, hot shower before bed helps... Find some time for yourself :flower:!!! It will make life alot easier for you :bath:... WFEN

 

[Janna]

Yep, me time is important.

My kids go to bed 8 PM sharp through the week. Nights are for SO and I. We watch a movie, eat popcorn, or I play my online games.

We take our me time at night, because there really is no time through the day. Just how it is with kids.

Janna

 

[needabreak]

you all gave some good ideas and im going to try them.just trying to stick with it is the hard part.but i will try.this might sound funny but i have really been trying to get to the gym cause that is the only place where i can actully take a nice long hot shower with out having to worry about some one interrupting me.terrible isnt it.well its a start.