Blogging through the Alphabet...M is for Making time for ME.

So this week's letter is the letter M, and I was really having trouble deciding on what to write about. As I was trying to think of every word that started with the letter M, I thought of the word "me." Of course, I brushed that off quickly because I am not going to write about me. As I thought about it some more, I reminded myself how lately I have really been trying to make more time for myself. This is something I struggle with all of the time. I have 4 kids, 3 that still live with me, plus my husband, and I realized that at the end of the day, I hardly ever take time to do things for myself that I need to do. Who has time left over in the day when you are being tugged in all directions, all day long?  Those 4 kids, my husband, and now my grand-doll are my life. I live everyday for those people. I'm not concerned with myself because I'm happy as long as they are happy, right?

The only problem with that is, of course, I wear myself thin. That's not helping anyone when I'm tired, cranky, aggravated, and just overwhelmed. Mom's need time for themselves to recharge and rest, all without feeling guilty. I have always had a problem with that...feeling guilty. How can I sit, read, and actually ENJOY a book or movie, while there's still laundry to be done, meals to be planned, and also cooked. After we have school, I really try to get chores done, but sometimes I just don't get it all done. That's when the guilt shows up. I can't sit still and enjoy whatever it is I'm trying to do because I feel like there's so much just sitting and begging for me to come do it.

Well guess what? As my granny used to tell me, "It will still be there in the morning." I do this all to myself. I stress about everything being done and perfect, and with 5 people in the house that's just not going to happen. Things are going to be spilled, plates are going to be dirtied, and laundry is still going to pile up. Even if I think it's all done, it will only last a few minutes around here, and THAT is something I had to come to terms with. Between homeschool, breakfast, homeschool, lunch, laundry, sweeping, mopping, dusting, cleaning, there's only one me, and a lot of that. My kids help, but I am also bad about, "just let me do it". I am getting better with that though and letting my kids and husband take the reigns. If it's not exactly how I would have done it, oh well, it's done right?  My husband puts no expectations on me, and for that I am so blessed and grateful. He doesn't expect perfection of me. He knows I work hard and he knows I do what I do for them. He loves me for that, so if he has to get his towel out of a basket that day, he's cool with that. He's just thankful it's clean.

With that being said, I'm really trying to take time for myself everyday. I want to really take time to get into my bible and journal. That's so important to me. Blogging is also one of the things I enjoy for myself so as you can see, I've already started. I also crochet, which is something that makes me super happy. I'm not hiding, I'm right out in the open having time for myself. I've even told the kids to hold on a sec, if I'm in the middle of a page I'm reading, or if I'm in the middle of blogging. It's not going to hurt them to wait a second! When I take a shower, I take my sweet time to shower, wash my hair, do my skin routine, and make-up. It doesn't have to be a mascara and lip gloss day everyday because it takes more time to put on a full face. Who cares! Does it make you feel better? Then take the extra time and do it.

Moms, you're not being selfish by doing something that makes YOU happy. Don't feel guilty that you are reading a book that YOU enjoy, or a movie that YOU want to watch. Frozen doesn't have to be on 24/7. Let it go. Pick up that adult coloring book and your new colored pencils, put on some Mumford and Sons and relax! Seek some time for yourself to recharge and I promise you will be a better mom and wife for it.

If you would like to read other "Blogging through the Alphabet" posts or link up your own, click the pic below.

Last week's post:
L is for Love