My husband…he understood this about me. He understood that she came first to me. He knew that no matter how many times he would encourage me to get out or take a bath, that I would choose her every time. Both he and I knew this wouldn’t last forever and that her needs outweighed ours and we lovingly did what she needed us to do in that season of her life.
Fast forward eight years and add two more kids. I just graduated from a 40-hour self-defense course. I go get the occasional pedicure. I treat myself to daily Dutch Bro’s. My husband puts the kids down for bed, so I can sit at Starbucks and write or go for a drive without being asked 5,000 questions and listening to a Blippi soundtrack.
I take care of myself better than I ever have, but it was on my terms, in the way I felt good about.
Listen Mama’s- The only person who truly knows your heart is the Good Lord and You! You are the only one who needs to approve of how you parent and how you take care of yourself. It is alright if that looks differently than other people tell you it should.
It’s okay if it’s all too much sometimes and it’s okay to push through the tears and exhaustion. It’s okay to take a day at the spa and it’s okay if taking a shower every 2-3 days feels like a victory. It’s okay to want a night out in clothes that aren’t covered in mac n’ cheese and ketchup and it’s okay to feel like there’s no place in the world you’d rather be than curled up with your babies, listening to them breathing.
Self-care looks different to each and every one of us, at different times in our lives. At the end of the day, when you climb into bed and your soul is weary, you are the only one who has to feel content with what you gave to the day and what you gave to yourself. It was your best and it was enough.
**This article originally appeared on TheReedeemedMama.com. See more from her on her Facebook page.
