Down time

Today is my day off. My children are all grown, so now a day off is actually possible. It is near impossible to have a day off when they are little much less a few minutes off. As a single mom most of their growing years, God brought along the occasional loving person that would let me relax for a bit. The thing I remember the most was the mental release in those precious few times. Spending every waking minute thinking about and anticipating the path of little ones, where everyone is, what they are experiencing, who will influence them is mentally and physically exhausting. When we leave the house, we have to anticipate their needs and then proceed to pack the house to prepare for their needs.

You have to find ways to rest your body and mind. You will be a better parent. Form a co-op with other parents to take turns watching each others kids for free. (Side note: Be sure you know alot about someone you are leaving your kids with. There are alot of bad people out there pretending to be normal.) The church has opportunities for groups of parents to come together and usually they offer childcare.

You may be thinking, I have no one to help me, I can't get away. That is okay. I survived many years of that. There are still ways to steal downtime. Get up a bit early and have some quiet time with your Bible, God and really good cup of coffee or tea. After they go to bed, find an interest besides parenting to talk about on an online chat room or read a book. Take a long soothing bath with quiet music. Workout to a video in the livingroom. Anything to allow you to escape. You have to take care of yourself, because your children are not programed to give as much as they take.

God will sustain and restore you:
Psalm 62:1 "My soul finds rest in God alone"
Psalm 91:1 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

If you are in a position to offer that release for a parent, do it. You will strengthen them as a family by allowing that parent to get some time to themselves.

My prayer is you will have some time to yourself in the next few days.
Blessings
Brenda