That moment when your double shower equals as a huge enclosed play pen…. Yes, I am going to admit that I sometimes let my girls play in my shower because they can’t hurt a thing, they love the echo that the shower provides and it gives me a bit of a mommy break, haha!
Just yesterday my girls were playing chase upstairs and they ended up in my bathroom. I MAY have prompted them in the shower (they didn’t mind!) and I MAY have went and laid down right outside of the bathroom for a few minutes. I told my friend about this interaction and she asked if I used that precious time of engaged enclosed play to clean or do something productive….. Ummmmmm, can’t we claim a ‘mommy sanity break’ as being productive?! I think so! I am calling this Shower Play Pen a victory for all!
On a more serious note, “taking care of yourself is the first and best way to take good care of your children” (Penley, 2006). After only taking a 5 minute breather for myself, I felt rejuvenated and ready to get back to chase and was more engaged with my girls. We can’t be ‘on’ ALL the time; it is impossible. It is okay to think about ourselves every once in a while! I know it sounds like a foreign concept for many mothers but it is something I know I am trying to be better at.
How do you squeeze in ‘Mommy Sanity Breaks’ in your day?
Penley, J. P., & Eble, D. (2006). Motherstyles: using personality type to discover your parenting strengths. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.
I couldn’t agree more. Sometimes you just need a minute to reboot. My son loves bath time so I give him a bucket of toys and tabs that change the color of the water, then plop down in a bean bag chair to relax a bit. He will play in there for 30-40 minutes sometimes and it’s great!
I LOVE this idea! #brilliant