Enjoy Privacy With a Child in the House
Staying at home with the kids can leave you craving silence. Some days are better than others, of course, and you love your children dearly. But everyone needs a little “me-time” every now and then.
That said, you’ll need to get creative if the current pandemic has you sharing close quarters with a full house. Use these five ideas to recharge yourself and be the best mom you can be.
1. Make a Schedule
You might have experienced many changes to your schedule recently. You’re hopefully starting to settle into a routine, but if not, get out your planner and make a daily schedule for your family.
This process doesn’t only help you to reduce the need for determination and willpower to get you through the day. It also provides a soothing structure for your children, who may also feel adrift.
When you make the family schedule, include hours for togetherness and time to spend apart. For example, your kids might attend homeschool classes while you work for two hours each morning. Let them know that when you shut your office door, it’s as if you left for work. Write down nap times and bedtimes, too.
2. Encourage Self-Soothing Behaviors
What do you do when life gets hectic? Maybe you lose yourself in a novel or a project. Maybe you sketch or knit. Whatever you do to calm yourself down can also work for a child.
For example, maybe you practice mindfulness when you need to slow down your racing thoughts. Why not introduce your children to this technique? You can explain terms in age-appropriate ways. Instead of using the phrase “ujjayi breathing,”tell them to pretend they’re Darth Vader. There’s nothing wrong with sitting down at the table and coloring, either.
Once you instill these self-soothing techniques in your kids, you can request quiet time by saying so. Invent a phrase that signals, “It’s time to go to our rooms and work on independent activities now.”
For younger kids, you might replace the term “nap time” with “quiet time.” You’ll also encounter less resistance when you put them down if they know they can draw or play with a toy in bed if they don’t feel sleepy.
