We hug them, love them, teach them, and share with them, wiping away tears, assuring them that monsters are not in the closet or under the bed, even helping them through algebra. We are our children's caretakers, and we care for them so deeply and completely that we sometimes forget to care for ourselves. If we get too stretched out and burned out, we aren't as effective at taking care of others.
One
of the things that I learned through my early years of homeschooling and being
a full-time mom was that I had to take care of MOM first. One of the best
analogies for this is the statement that is made when you are going through the
safety talk before takeoff on an airplane: when the oxygen masks drop in an
emergency, the adult should put her mask on first, then assist the child with his.
We can't help our child if we are incapacitated—that's my interpretation. And
this holds true in all that we do, particularly when it comes to parental
well-being and the individual feeling of fulfillment.
Over
the next few weeks I’ll be posting ideas for keeping you—the wife, the mom, the
teacher—fresh and at your best. Here we go:
1.
Take
time to make time. Begin by blocking off an hour each week that is YOUR time,
no exceptions. Even if you go and sit in the library and read a magazine, just
go!
Blessings,
Amanda B.
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