My first attempt at this blog post was about kids going back to school - the whys and hows of health care as the season changes and how important it is to check in with your health care provider now. Then I realized that around this Back to School time, every ounce of your energy is focused on your child. All of your money, time, worries and energy are spent in anticipation of the first day of school.
Then they get on the bus, you breathe a sigh of relief and everything goes back to normal, right? Nope, not always. Or perhaps it does go back to normal, but normal is just more of the same stuff that wasn’t good in the first place. So when do you, Mom and Dad, get all of the focus on you to prepare you for the journey ahead? And why would you spend the time, money and energy?
When you have kids, it’s often hard to justify the “indulgence” of taking care of yourself. What if I told you that taking care of yourself has a direct positive benefit for your kids? What if you could pause for a moment before responding? What if you are able to see your children and their actions in a more positive light? What if you felt better - had less anxiety, fewer worries and felt good in your body? How would you be with your kids then?
As a mother of three, these questions summed up my life. What if I didn’t respond in anger when my daughter couldn’t find her shoes and we were already 10 minutes late? What if her constant questioning was recognized as her inner curiosity rather than a constant annoyance? What if, during times of stress, I was able to pull them close and tell them it would be alright rather than retreat to my own corner?
I’ve never been a perfect parent and never will be. What I do know is that there are times when I am a better parent. There are days when I remember and embody the quote above my kitchen sink - “You have a choice in every interaction with your child. Choose kindness.” When I am taking care of myself, which for me means taking my homeopathic remedy, sleeping well, exercising and eating right, it is much, much easier for me to be a better parent.
This fall, I encourage you to consider what makes you a better parent. How do you take care of yourself? What would help you to take that small pause before the words spill out? Can you make long lasting changes for yourself or do you feel stuck? Or do you need guidance? If what you need will require a more of a shift out of your stuckness than a few runs around the lake each week, consider homeopathic care for you. You're worth it and so are your kids.