Self Care

Just now when I thought I had a moment..while the baby was finally napping, the first moment I have had all day to sit down..the other ones had a crisis..one child fell down and the other thought it would be fun to throw a ceramic pot on the pavement..  a wave of desperation, angst, and exhaustion overcame me...

With 3 children, our lives now are quite constant.   The baby is going through some transitions..teething, and pooping more solid poops..which she is quite distressed about.  She is more needy now..so it is a complete scramble to get anything done.  And that does not even scratch the surface of the parenting demands of the two older ones.  My shift is usually 12 hours before I can even hope for a break from my husband and even then he takes over for one or two hours before I need to attend to bedtime..and then the night time wakings.

Full time parenting is extremely demanding..

And the need for some self care very important to remain on top of it..

Lately I am not all that sensitive, soft spoken, or kind...seems I am often reduced to being a maid and cattle driver...as I sometimes can't get past the chores in the kitchen and laundry room..and the outings for the kids and errands.  I am much grumpier than I would care to admit..sharper, impatient..I am not being the parent I want to be.

As I write this I have been interrupted several times..

Anyone who has been a parent i'm sure knows..

But right now I am asserting my need to do something for myself..taking a coffee break even though the children don't acknowledge it..I validate it for myself..

Especially since I worked ..another interruption..

I worked thru lunch break...

I am entitling myself to my coffee break and I am not getting up from this chair for 15 minutes..for anything short of emergency or the baby waking up!