A lot of us are under the impression that when you become a parent your life is over. All of the alone time, fun and freedom you’re accustomed to has to abruptly come to an end. It’s no secret that your life will obviously require some minor (or major) alterations, but I’m here to tell you that you’re still able to live your absolute best life, even with children. Here are a few general rules I live by…
Save Money
Saving up for the things you’d like to do, with or without you’re family, is one way to be sure you actually get to do them without worrying about any last minute costs (because we all know being low on funds is a sure fire way to keep the ‘fun’ parts of your life on hold). For me, opening a separate savings account solely for vacationing and other fun things, works best.
Plan According
In addition to saving money, I try my best to plan activities well in advance whenever possible. There’s nothing worst than having things fall through because of poor planning. ESPECIALLY if it involves a sitter (after all, everyone hates being asked for favors at the last minute).
Use Your Spare Time Wisely
And I can’t stress this enough!….Every moment you have without your children, is a moment you can be doing something YOU want to. Have a day off of work when the kids are at school? Or perhaps they’re spending time with another family member… Don’t use this time to run errands or doing “parent” things, if you can help it. Instead, treat yourself by spending this time doing what makes you happy. Take a mini trip, try out a new restaurant or maybe even try doing something adventurous with friends. Whatever defines you living YOUR best life, do that!
Don’t Abuse Your Support System
I know, its super easy to to continuously ask for help with your children, especially if you find that it’s difficult to execute any plans with them. But the more you rely on support, the more your support may be reluctant to assist in your times of need.
Inquire About Childcare Services
Surprisingly, many places offer childcare for a fee. So the next time you need some time at the spa or maybe even a day pass to your favorite hotel, but don’t have anyone to help out with your children, don’t hesitate to ask about what services they may have available to you.
Get Used to Including Them 🤷🏽♀️
Now, I completely understand that not everyone has a support system they can use frequently, if at all, for help. So in this case, in order to still live some version of the life you crave (assuming it’s one that children can partake in), you may just have to include them more often.
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I said all of to say, life doesn’t have to become boring just because you’re a parent – and you most certainly don’t have to lose sight of who you are. Your individuality is just as important now, as it’s ever been.
Has becoming a parent made you feel like you no longer lead a life of your own? It doesn’t have to be that way. Putting yourself first sometimes doesn’t mean you’re neglecting your parental responsibilities. In fact, it might even make you a little better them. Being in full Mommy (of Daddy) mode 100% of the time can be daunting and start to feel like a task. We’ll be in a much better mood to care for our families if we first tend to ourselves ❤️.
What defines living YOUR best life, and how do you achieve this as a parent?
TTYL!
LEXI 💋
