Today I was thinking about all the things I blog about telling parents the things they need to be doing. Parenting is a job that never ends; not on any given day or for the rest of your life. As your children become adults the relationships change but you are still the parent.
So, today I decided to write about parents taking good care of self. I see so many families where both parents are working full time. The children are involved in many varied activities and the parents are running all the time. When this is happening we tend to neglect ourselves. Parenting is a 24/7 job. Like any all encompassing job there are things one needs to do to survive well. You need to get enough sleep, eat healthy and get some kind of exercise regularly. Isn’t that the formula for everything? Beyond that parents need to make time for themselves and couple time. If one is a single parent this is even more critical. We are less able to be effective parents is our own needs are not being met and we can’t meet those needs through our kids.
So take time for yourself and your partner. This will not only make you a better parent but also a better role model. Have a good week. Sherri
I think this is important information that so many parents don't understand. I always tell my parents that in order to help their children, they need to be healthy and stable to be good role models.
Posted by: April Wooldridge | 03/28/2011 at 05:48 PM
Thanks for the reinforcement April. Sherri
Posted by: Sharon Cook, LCSW, LMFT | 04/02/2011 at 11:31 AM
Great post..thanks for recognizing the importance of taking care of self! I started this self-care journey a few years ago based on Renee Trudeau's book, The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal and can tell you that I am less resentful, happier, and saner when I take care of myself emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. The famous quote by Audre Lord, "Self-care is not about self-indulgence, it's about self-preservation" is spot on!
Posted by: sara | 04/11/2011 at 01:27 PM
Thanks - I agree that we must take care of yourself in order to be an effective parent.
Dr Debra
Posted by: Debra Atkisson | 04/11/2011 at 11:36 PM