Quality time is always valuable to a person at any stage of their life. When you become a parent, you spend almost every waking hour preoccupied with the thoughts of parenting and child-care. As much as this is fulfilling, having your own alone time is important too. You will learn that this is an essential aspect of everyone’s life no matter what your role is.
Meditation and Self- Reflection
There are essential activities you have to do in solitary time because this is by how much you measure the quality of the activity that you are doing. When you spend your time doing mindfulness activities and self-reflection, you actually allow yourself to detoxify your mind and release negative thoughts and energy. It allows for healing, de-stressing, and better-coping strategies. When you clear your mind, you make room for new thoughts and perspectives which will help you make way for new creative and helpful ideas. The good news is, even a few minutes doing meditation and self-reflection is actually proven to increase positive effects on your overall well being.
Refueling
Refueling means you replenish yourself in order to go back out there to continue the journey you are in. In the world of parenting, it simply means you have to stock up on things that will inspire you. This could be by going back to old hobbies and interests. This has the same effect when you watch a classic childhood movie you’ve had when you were young, or when you happen to listen to The Pretty Reckless- “Who You Selling For” songs because they are your jam and feel-good songs or when you are able to indulge on a treat you have been craving for. These are experiences that ignite resilience and happiness. Even when you do them alone, the effect tends to radiate outward to the people you love. This is actually what it means to create your own happiness, to spend some alone time with something you really like to do for yourself. It could be this simple but it is worth a lot. After all, what a child needs is a parent who is happy.
Self- Development
One of the things that would be challenging to teach children is how to encourage them for self-development later on. This is a lesson that won’t have instructions but it is something they learn when they see it as an example. Showing children the value of independence and self-growth by showing them yourself becomes an invaluable lesson to them. If you continue to pursue the little things you want to achieve during your alone time, you teach a valuable lesson in striving to become a better person.
Think of having your own alone time from your kids as a building block or a part of the process of parenting, it is also essential and absolutely necessary. You need time to look into yourself and relax, rekindle the sources of your energy, and build up a better version of yourself. You will always go back as a renewed, more energized, and stronger person and a parent.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
Agree with you on 100%. You totally should take care of yourself before taking care of children because if you are empty inside you have nothing to give to the children. For me 20 min alone in the morning are essential. I do my meditation practice and prayer and then I move on to take care of my child. Thanks for the article!