In choosing how I go about living life, I try to think about who I want my children to see as a role model. How do I hope for them to act as they grow up? What morals do I hope to instill in them? What temperaments do I hope for them to have? What will they take away from having me as their mother? Will they have patience and compassion towards others? Will they fly off the handle whenever something doesn’t go their way? Are they quick to judge a situation and react, or can they carefully consider each side before reacting? Do they make fun of others, talk behind others backs, or are they encouraging and helpful to others? Do they have eyes that lookout for the underdog, for the kid sitting alone who feels left out, or do they even notice?

 I already see the way my oldest son interacts with his younger brother, and it nearly brings me to tears at times. He is so kind and caring. I see reflections of ways I have acted toward him when he was upset or struggling with something, not even thinking in the moment that I am the example. Sometimes I am proud, and other times ashamed (of my behavior). While they are so young, I take responsibility for their behavior. Either way, their little eyes are always watching, and I see them repeat with their little hands and mouths what they see and hear. It’s a reminder to be mindful of what I am doing in my daily life. Am I just going through motions, or am I actively setting good example and demonstrating what it is to be a kind and decent human being. If I do nothing else to contribute to this world, I hope it is raising two kind and loving human beings.

Kids are super stressful to raise, and even the most patient parent loses their tempers and yells at times (you’re lying if you say you haven’t). We are always questioning if what we’re doing is right, did I handle the discipline correctly, or did I do more harm than good? Am I working too much? Do they have enough time away from me?  You wouldn’t be a good parent if you didn’t think about these things at times. But how do we stay sane, and have patience, and be that fun and energetic parent our children need? I’m going to tell you the secret.

It starts with loving yourself first, and the rest will follow. It leads to taking care of yourself. Having a love for life, and love for others.

Yep. That is the secret to being a healthy person, parent, spouse, anything really. And that starts with loving yourself. If we don’t love ourselves enough to take care of our needs, then we will suffer in all areas of life. We definitely won’t reach our full potential. We will be stressed out, angry, spiteful, and dull. All work and no play makes a stressed out mama.

Let’s start taking time to reflect what it is we really want/need to do to feel better and more relaxed. Let’s do something nice for ourselves once in a while. Maybe it’s allowing ourselves the time to meet up with friends for dinner or drinks, or it’s taking alone time to read a book. Maybe it’s planning a vacation, or taking time to exercise. Make time everyday to stretch and move your body. Sometimes it means saying no, like saying no to an extra project at work, or for a night out when all you really want to do is stay in.

Take time to take care of yourself and your needs, and your mind and body will thank you for it.

Make loving yourself a priority.

I’m curious, what do you do to take time for yourself and show yourself some love?