Self-care for Parents

Howdy,

After adding Google and iCal for School Calendar Events, it occurred to us that we should do the same for the events we send out every week. :) So see below and let us know what you think!

And yes, school calendars can also be sent out in this pretty email format. Those of you at MLK can look forward to Christina's updates soon. (Thanks Christina!)

We lucked out and had beautiful weather for the Unity Playdate last week. It was nice to meet the families from other schools. And School Committee members Fred Frantini and Emily Dexter came too. :)

Self Care for Parents

You probably saw from my earlier update that I had a rough week with husband traveling for work and scrambling for summer camps. I'm now pretty convinced that stress is what causes me to yell at the kids and husband too. So a happier household probably starts with my own self-care.

I've been very focused on self-care. To me, in prioritized order it's

1) Sleep - that's top for me. Else it all goes to hell. ;-) I've learned to not get out of bed before 7. Just stay in bed and relax or meditate. :)

I've had problem waking up early before, but when I'm more relaxed, it's easier to fall back to sleep.

2) Have a relaxed mind - Starts in the morning with sleep/rest. And notice when I'm stressed and try to get back to the more relaxed state. Meditation helps with the noticing part.

3) Get help and get stuff off my plate - I've assigned afterschool re-enrollment and putting together kids' furniture to hubby when he's back. Dropped kids off at grandparents overnight. Asked a friend to watch my kids while I go to work event (thanks Jaclyn!) Trying to be conscious about can things wait?

4) Do fun things, yes for ME - Like running, socializing (with adults!), or both (running with other moms in the neighborhood), I even tried to get a massage but it was all booked.

My question to you is, does stress from work & parenting, or being a stay home parent full-time get to you too? And how do you de-stress?