Great Escape: Suggestions for "Me Time"

"Great Escapes" don't always have to be that great; what I mean by that is they can be small, too, just moment by moment, and still make up a vital part of a mom's survival throughout the week.  

Last Wednesday we spoke about the beauty of picking up old puzzle pieces of ourselves and giving them some time and attention. This fuels the other parts of who you are when you get some time just for yourself. But from time to time, such as this week, I'd like to share tips on how to have great escapes right in the middle of the action of caring for kids, home or job.  Because let's just face it, those three areas are where we are most of the time.

Mommy Makeup Time:  I thought of this one just the other day when I was basking in the pleasure of getting to put on my makeup without distraction—not even the sound of little kiddos under foot (Did I mention mine are 2, 4 and 6 years old?).  As I enjoyed this experience immensely, it made me wonder why I haven't tried harder to make it happen.  Why didn't I, for example, plan a mommy makeup time during the first 5 to 10 minutes of Elmo more often?  Why didn't I ask my husband years ago to bless me on Sunday mornings before church by allowing me to have 15 minutes of "mommy gets ready without kids" time?  

Why haven't I more often felt worthy of saying to my two older girls:  "Ladies, mommy is important and I need 10 minutes of quiet time now, so I can get some mommy things done.  I'd like you to each play in your rooms by yourselves until mommy comes back out.  This quiet time is important to mommy, so please don't come talk to me unless it is an emergency."

Why didn't I leave for work 15 minutes earlier every day so that I could collect my thoughts, finish my makeup, call a friend, or journal?

Each of these actions would have communicated an important message to those in my family.  Quietly spending time in separate rooms for mommy would teach my girls that others have needs, too, and to learn patience.  

The Sunday morning request would give my husband a specific tangible example of how he can love me in a way that he can easily meet—and meet often as we partner in this journey.  

The first one of prioritizing myself over the laundry or dishes, or whatever else tends to fill movie times, reminds me how I matter, and about the value of balance.  Giving extra time to myself on my way to work fights the false guilt that every second I can spend with my kids, I should because of my time out of the house.  

Working moms need as much time to themselves as stay-at-home moms, and our kids will be better for having moms that take the time they need.

If any of you are reading this and thinking, "What crazy routine does this family have?  I've woken up, showered, gotten dressed in trendy clothes, put on makeup, and set breakfast on the table all before my kids wake up," then this article may not be for you.  But for the some of you out there that relate with feeling 10 minutes behind all day, I hope this strikes a cord for the positive in your life today.

One final thought for the moms with 2 year olds and younger to care for:  When you want to look your best and you can't just send children to their rooms, I encourage you to take 5 minutes of their nap time and devote it to beauty.  Looking our best helps us feel our best, too, and keeps giving to ourselves over and over throughout the day.  

One more trick that often has worked for me is to put a really exciting toy in my bathroom so that when your whole family is in there for a short spell (of putting on makeup or washing your hair in the sink like my mom always used to do), your cherubs are content for 5 to 7 minutes!  

Real Life.