Running around after and with your children is one of life’s greatest pleasures. You get to spend all day breathing in their gorgeous smells and watching them experience the world. But it gets tiring. And sometimes you just want a bit of peace and quiet – a bit of time to yourself. Though when you do get that, it’s hard to make the most of it. You’ll have grand plans of how you want to spend your day, morning or evening – and then suddenly by the time you’ve decided what to do, the children are back and the chaos has returned!
So, here’s your guide to making the most of your downtime. Enjoy!
Prepare in advance
You want a hot bubble bath and to catch up on your favorite shows? Easy. Start running the bath while you sort the kids out. Get your show downloading, or get it up on Netflix or Amazon Prime. If you’re desperate to catch up on a show that’s not available in your country, make sure you’ve got a proxy server or VPN sorted. Try this out in advance, so if you get a blocker from Netflix when you try to use this, you’ll know what to do. It’s easy to learn how to get past Netflix VPN blocks, but it does take some time. So don’t leave until your evening off to try it out! If you’re having your favorite food, make sure it’s on the go in advance – or get the local takeaway to deliver once the kids are safely out of earshot. If you’re on a diet but still want to enjoy some comfort food, check out these tips here.
Know what you want to do
It sounds obvious, but how many quiet evenings have you spent faffing around, only to decide just before you fall asleep or take the kids back? If it’s something that requires organization, like a haircut or beauty treatment, get booked in advance! You’ll know how busy your salon gets, so make sure you give them adequate notice so you can get the time you want. Likewise, pick a book or a TV show to crash out with, rather than spending a few hours struggling to decide. Here’s a list of last year’s best fiction books – see if any of them take your fancy.
Make it a regular thing
If you have plenty of me-time, you won’t worry about making the most of it – because you won’t feel that you have to. You’ll be able to enjoy your time as much as you want, and you won’t stress out trying to fit in a haircut, a mani-pedi, time to read your new book, and a back massage. If you really struggle to find time for yourself, try reading this article. It’s got plenty of advice to help you manage your day so you end up with some downtime.
Once your children are a bit older, you’ll be able to enjoy this time together. But for now, make sure you’re getting plenty of me-time, and indulge yourself when you get it!
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