Putting our oxygen mask on first...

By Carol Dores

What’s the connection between putting your oxygen mask on first and watering plants?

The need to take care of ourselves so we have the energy to take care of others.

So many parents have trouble finding the time for themselves. There are too many things that need to get done. Laundry, food shopping, house cleaning, taking care of the children, work, running errands, and the list goes on and on. So we end up feeling exhausted, and don’t have the energy to enjoy our children. Or, we are so burned out that we have a short fuse, and end up screaming at our children. When our kids were young, I would spend a good part of Sunday sleeping, trying to catch up and repair the exhaustion.

What’s a first step to taking care of ourselves?

Get a pen and paper. Make a list of all of the things that you enjoy doing that could rejuvenate you. Try to include things that are easy and fast, like digging in the dirt (the first one on my list). Listening to music, coloring, a bubble bath….they don’t need to cost money to be enjoyable!

Once you have your list, see if you can find 10 minutes a week to start. Make sure to explain to everyone in your house that you want to take better care of yourself, and what the plan is. We want to teach our children to take care of themselves, and one of the best ways to teach is to model the behavior by doing it. You can even sit with your children to help them come up with their lists. Self -care is important for all of us!

What gets in the way of taking care of ourselves?

Not enough time. No one to take care of the children. Not enough money. These are the things we often hear as we build these lists in a parenting class. Think about this…10 minutes after the kids are in bed in a bubble bath or digging in the dirt (yes in the dark). As you take care of yourself for these short periods of time, you will likely start to feel like a plant that is being watered after a long drought – refreshed and reenergized.

Maybe you can even have a family time each week where everyone does their own self -care!

Taking care of ourselves allows us to be calmer and more available for our children.

Want to learn more having a calmer, more peaceful home? Visit www.positivedisciplinect.org/parenting-classes/. We have classes starting in May!

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#positivediscipline #modelling #teachchildren #selfcare