Sandcastle building! Cabin time! Water parks! Backyard barbecuing!
Also: Sunburns! A car full of sand! Popsicle stains on the floor! And daily choruses of “I’m booooored!”
Everyone loves summer fun with the kids, but as the season winds down, many stay-at-home parents find themselves looking forward to a little less chaos and a little more Me Time.
If you are secretly fantasizing about shipping your little angels off to school, here are four self-care suggestions for the fall.
Eat: Alone
Newfound hours of daytime quiet in the home may seem daunting at first, but fill them with those basics of life that are a little less pleasurable (and sometimes nearly impossible!) when the kids are around. Like eating a meal—even while it’s still hot!
Or go further: use the extra time to enjoy a meal that your kids would never go for. Turn on some mealtime music, bring a magazine, and break out the roasted brussels sprouts or delicious fish (that isn’t fish sticks).
Look: Fabulous
Taking a long shower, blow drying your hair or putting on mascara may seem like a stretch when your seven-year-old is banging down the bathroom door.
But having the kids out of the house for a few hours means you can take some time for yourself: paint your toenails, give yourself a facial, or perhaps best of all, take a nap! Yes, right in the middle of the afternoon. You deserve it!
Do: Nothing
Sure, there may be a few things you have to get done around the house to restore order. But running around obsessively trying to catch up on all of the housework you meant to do over the summer will likely have you burn out faster than you can say “dust bunnies.”
Instead, cut yourself some slack: start by walking by a pile of toys, pointing and shrugging like you have no idea who left it there or what it is. The kids will be home soon enough; they can tidy their messes.
Use the time instead to throw yourself on the couch, turn on Netflix or grab a juicy novel, and turn off your compulsion to clean. The grime can wait, but that game of Clash of Clans isn’t going to play itself.
Work: Out
Getting back into an exercise routine may be the last thing you feel like doing once fall starts, but it doesn’t have to be hard.
In fact, you could simply take a few minutes to limber up with some stretching every day. Or, find some quick and simple workouts to do at home courtesy of your friend Google.
While you’re getting the body going, don’t forget about kickstarting your brain as well; you’re not just a pretty face after all!
Whatever you choose to do, just make sure you take some time for you: it has been a long hot summer, and you need your rest. Remember, next summer is only eight months away!
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