You Have Needs Too!

Hello to all of my mommies out there! I thought it would be an ideal topic this week to focus on yourself for once.

Too many days pass by that I find I do not think of myself or my needs. We are too often in the roles of Mommy, Wife, Caretaker, and often times Career Woman as well. These roles can be taxing and if you are like me, you want to have it all! The career, the home, the husband, and the kids are all goals that most women typically want to achieve.

Balancing these roles is often times difficult, overwhelming, and leaves us unsatisfied or feeling unprepared for the roles we thrust ourselves into. Believe me, I have done them all.

Prior to becoming a mother who does fulfill the more traditional roles for our gender, I worked full time outside of the home as a teacher. This was my career and I loved it dearly, however my personal needs were pushed to the wayside each school year because my life revolved around the work week. I found it difficult to balance my professional life with my home life and often did not want to interact with my own child (I only had Jade at the time) when my work day was complete. I was so mentally exhausted that all I wanted to do was get in bed and sleep! My house work went to the wayside and my family ate unhealthy foods because they were quick to prepare. I just did not have the drive to be the best mom and wife I could be.

It all came to a head when my husband and I were expecting our second child (Dennis). We learned that he was to deploy just weeks before my due date and a new school year would begin around the same time. I realized that something had to change! I was not fulfilled as a woman, mother, or wife. And, this may sound selfish, I had no time for ME!

To make a long story short, my husband and I discussed our finances, came up with a plan, and it is now almost three years later that I became a full time mom, wife, and Homemaker. I found that I am not only less stressed, but also, I am able to be a larger part of my children's lives. I also began an at home business that allows me the ability to have a less stressful, more rounded life. My life has become more rounded and balanced with the help of a great team of moms. Now, I realize that this may not be for everyone, so for those of you mothers out there that work a full time job as well as these other roles, You Go! Just remember that balance is the key.

Without balance, you feel as I felt. It took me a long time to learn that lesson, and today, I am more rounded and able to handle the stresses of mother, wife, and home life.

With all of these roles, we still often forget about our own needs, and so this week I wanted to focus on finding something you enjoy doing for yourself and schedule time each week to do it! For example, you could go get a pedicure, work on crafts, take a long walk, go to the gym. These are all things that you can do for yourself and is what I call ME TIME! In order to not go stir crazy as we go from day to day, we have to have this! I would love to hear what you do for yourself. I go the spa every four weeks, and that may sound extravagant, I would say that I earn it by taking care of my families needs and always putting them first. You deserve it too!