Let’s face it– parenting is challenging. Yes, it’s one of the most rewarding challenges that many people will ever face, but that doesn’t make it less difficult at the moment. Children, especially toddlers, have around-the-clock needs. As a parent, it’s your responsibility to take care of them whenever they come up. With a toddler taking up so much of your time, though, how are you supposed to find a moment for yourself? Everyone needs “me-time” to rest, relax, and recharge, but as a busy mom, it can feel impossible to get any.
Fortunately for you, that’s not the case. As long as you have a plan, you can take a moment to step out and do all the me-time activities you want. If you’re stuck asking yourself “When does parenting get easier?” we’ve got good news: it can get better right now! Just take a look at our top four tips on how to make time for yourself.
1. Hire a Sitter
If you need an evening to yourself, try hiring a sitter. Babysitters can give you some time to get out of the house without having to worry about your child. They’ll keep the little one entertained, fed, and ensure that they stay on their usual schedule while you can go out, enjoy a date with your significant other. Spend some quality time with your close friends. Just enjoy taking a moment to recharge your batteries.
When hiring a sitter, we recommend hiring one that’s CPR-certified in case of emergency, and giving them your phone number to contact you if need be. This will give everyone involved a bit of extra peace of mind, allowing you to enjoy your night out to the fullest.
2. Build a Support Web
If you can’t afford to hire a sitter, you could also try getting in touch with friends and family. Everyone understands that parenting is a struggle sometimes. They are more than willing to support you if you need it. Over time, you may even be able to develop a system with relatives and fellow moms in your area. For example, once a week, your kids and a friend’s kids have a playdate. One week, you watch all of the kids while your friend goes out for the evening. On the other week, you do the opposite. This allows both of you to enjoy regularly scheduled me-time while ensuring your little ones are taken care of.
3. Cut Out Non-Essential Tasks
While cutting corners is usually seen as a negative thing, it might be just what you need to reclaim some of your free time. The best place to start with this is your chore routine. For example, are you spending all day cleaning the house? While you don’t want to live in a filthy house, there’s no need for it to be squeaky clean all the time.
If you live in a space, especially with a toddler, there’s going to be a certain amount of mess that’s created. There’s nothing embarrassing about that, and learning to cut corners on cleaning can save you a huge amount of time and stress. Does that corner really need to be dusted every day? Do you have to vacuum the entire house every time you clean? Realistically, do you need to clean more than once a week? Cutting out these unnecessary steps and making your peace with just a little bit of dust can have a massive impact on your free time and overall mental health.
4. Find Engaging Activities for Your Child
Perhaps the best way to get regular me-time as a toddler mom is by finding engaging activities for your child. Whether that takes the form of fidget toys, picture books, building blocks, drawing or otherwise, find something that captures their attention and keeps them entertained for a long period of time. Whenever you need a bit of me-time, just pull out one of your kiddo’s activities of choice and let them loose! From there, you can take a moment to nap, read a book, or do anything else that will help you relax.
We recommend staying in the general vicinity of your child when doing this, however. While most activities for toddlers carry little to no risk of injury, you don’t want to be far away from home when something bad does happen. Make sure your child is always at least within earshot of a responsible adult. Other than that, though, let your child enjoy their favorite activity, and enjoy an activity of your own!
Looking for more great tips, tricks, and products to give you a bit of time for yourself while engaging your kids? Visit our site at ToysCentral today!