The last few weeks that we have been on quarantine have probably made us more appreciative of stay-at-home moms who, day in and day out, bravely face the never-ending household chores and manage to stay sane despite having kids as companions 24/7.
But life can get overwhelming, more so in these times, so here's something we should be wary of mom burnout. Parenthood is a tough balancing act, and part of it is self-care.
Being a good mother entails taking care of yourself, which means taking occasional breaks from motherhood duties so you can put yourself first. But the next question is, how? When you're tired yet constantly surrounded by restless toddlers, how do you take a time out?
Me-time is a mom means you're never really alone. But you can get some quiet time by doing these:
Go through old pictures.
Show your kids photos from when you were a child for a bit of nostalgia. Tell them what games you used to play, what your cherished toys were. Ask them to guess and identify you from an old family photo. Or maybe you'll get a kick out of seeing how much you resembled your child when you were young!
Bring out an adult coloring book.
This activity hits two birds with one stone: it's soothing for you and allows your kids to practice his fine motor skills. Hopefully, they stay remain engaged with the activity long enough for you to get a breather.
Binge-watch your favorite show.
YouTube or Netflix, it doesn't matter. Most moms do it when the kids have fallen asleep to avoid interruptions.
Ask your kids to draw you — while you sleep.
Well, whoever thought of this is a genius. Give the kids paper and pencil, and tell them to draw their best impression of "Sleeping Mom." Set an alarm so you don't doze off the rest of the day (we said nap, remember?).
Do a video conference with friends.
There's nothing like a conversation with friends to help you recharge and make you feel like your old self. Thanks to technology, being on quarantine does not equal isolation all the time.
