In this ScaryMommy piece, I talk about how self-care can (and should) look like parenting our little ones. The past year+ and the pandemic took a lot out of us, and if you're like me, you may be feeling a little battered and bruised.
I have been trying to get back to the basics of self-care. That has meant focusing on how I'm eating, sleeping, breathing, and pooping. Yes, I said that. I have learned that poop is a reliable and free stress-o-meter.
For any of us who are raising and working with kids, it is time to tend to our own recovery, not only our kids' health and healing. Our well-being makes theirs more possible.
I hope you'll find the honesty and humor in this piece refreshing, and maybe revelatory too.
The whole piece is here (~3 min. read) and a sneak peek below:
"I am the person who is a boss lady during a crisis, but a mess once it’s over. And now, I’m pretty sure I am suffering the aftershocks of a big and profound period of perpetual crisis. People are vaccinated, vacationing, and taking off their masks. The sirens have stopped, but I am struggling to believe the emergency is over.
I know I’m not alone, because I have friends who feel the same way. The school year is ending, summer is nearing, and many of us can’t keep it together. It’s like the CDC gave us permission to take off our masks and our bodies took it as a sign to shut down in an attempt to recharge and reboot.
My kid brother and his wife just welcomed their first child. A beautiful brand new baby girl. While I was looking at their pictures, I was transported back to the early days of motherhood. Those days when life revolved around making sure my baby was breathing, sleeping, eating, and pooping.
That’s when I realized, to recover I need to treat myself like a baby. So do you."
Take good care!