Sometimes You Just Need A Break From Parenting

Let’s face it. Sometimes, it’s extremely hard to be a parent. It’s an endless, thankless job. We deal with the endless night wakings, learning how to breastfeed, and a child that will just start crying for no reason for hours and hours. We have to sleep train (or not sleep train) and potty train. We have to teach our kids that food is for eating and that eventually, they need to learn how to drink out of a cup after a year of drinking out of a bottle or breastfeeding. Sometimes, it all gets to be a little much. Sometimes, all we can think of is that fabulous, single life we used to have and running away to go find it again.

Then, you look into your little one’s adorable face when she smiles at you and know that there is nothing you would give that up for. When they start dancing to their favorite Ghotu Motu Ki Toli nursery rhyme, you take video after video of them and share them with the world. When they laugh at your silly antics, there is nowhere else in the world you would rather be.

But what do you do about those times where you just feel like pulling your hair out one by one because your child isn’t going to sleep or won’t eat?

Here are some suggestions on things you can do to give yourself a little break. Hopefully, that one hour or so you take away for yourself makes you feel calm and ready to face the world again.

1. Go to the library and read a book. When was the last time you were able to escape into someone else’s world?
2. Meditate. Try to find a quiet spot (after handing your children to their other parent or grandparents) and take a few deep breaths. Use this time to find your center and find some peace within yourself.
3. Exercise. Get those endorphins flowing. Exercise is a great way to relieve stress and cope with any emotions that might feel crazy.
4. Writing has always been a therapeutic way to discuss how you feel. Keep a journal to put your thoughts down when you feel your head is getting too crowded.
5. Try to take some time to have dinner with a friend. Sometimes, we just need to have some adult time away from the children to get our head on straight. Have a conversation about anything other than the kids.

Being a parent isn’t easy. Anyone who has gone through it can tell you that. In the middle of the ups and downs, we just need to be able to recognize when we need to take some time for ourselves. Our children will get the best part of us if we are able to take a step back when we need to collect ourselves.

Written by Shailee Butalia – A second generation Indian mother of a gorgeous daughter living in the USA… writing this on behalf of the wonderful team of Ghotu Motu Ki Toli.

Ghotu Motu Ki Toli is a way to teach our children our culture and language using 2 minute Indian nursery rhyme videos available on Youtube and through free mobile apps. Subscribe to our mailing list and our Youtube channel.

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