Are you a working mom – a mom that works all day long and then comes home to screaming children, which only makes you feel more stressed? Do you sometimes just wish that you could scream too, to let out your frustration? Don’t worry – we all feel this way at times, whether we are working mothers, or not.
But because stress can be a natural part of parenting, it is a good idea to have some tried-and-true relaxation activities on hand, that have been proven to work for you. It is also important to know what likely causes stress, so that you can prepare yourself against it.
With three young children, my husband and I are outnumbered – we know this. That is why we have made it routine to pick up our kids together, when they have been at daycare all day. We meet at home, and take the ride to daycare together. It is not only easier for collecting our bundles of joy, but it also gives us some valuable one-on-one time together.
As soon as we get home from daycare, it’s time for dinner. The kids usually don’t want to wait to eat, so we try to have dinner prepared before they get home, as we prefer eating together as a family.
Following dinner, the next 2 hours are dedicated to playtime. If the weather is nice, we go outside, if it’s not, we make use of our dedicated playroom inside the house. Some nights, all of the kids will play together, other times, we split up the twins from Jack. Either way, we always make sure to have dedicated time with all of them.
After playing, the girls enjoy bath time together, before being dressed in their PJs, and prepared for bed. After bathing, the girls like to act silly – we dance, enjoy peek-a-boo, and listen to soft music. We wind down for the night, and then it’s off to bed to dream about another day.
Our son stays up an hour after the girls have gone to bed. If he is being good, he sometimes stays up later. This final hour before bedtime is 100% Jack time, where we all sometimes act as children, hiding under blankets, and building tents. We read books, and do all of his favorite things. It’s all about making Jack feel important, since he sometimes gets overlooked having twins as sisters.
As a mother, I know all about the stress and frustration that can accompany parenthood, but I also know that childhood is fleeting, and I always relish the small moments – the simple times of catching the smiles, and the glimmer as they peek. Those moments keep us going through the hard times, the temper tantrums, and the sibling fights.
So when you experience such frustration that you just want to go in your room and hide, take a deep breath, and remember those little things that make you smile. Forget about the dishes, and the laundry – all of the things that we have to do as parents. And live in the moment with your children; make it all about them for those few hours; even if it may seem hard at the time, I guarantee that it will be worth it once you have kissed their foreheads, and tucked them into bed.