Now, I’m in no way saying that men don’t work hard and have a lot to balance between work and home. BUT, I do feel that it’s common for men to sit down and relax when they need to sit down and relax, even if there are still things to be taken care of. Many men seem to have an uncanny ability to sit amongst stacks on the coffee table and clothes that need to be folded on the couch and enjoy a show or a game.
There’s even that one joke about a man saying he’s going to go to bed and he goes to bed and falls right to sleep. And then the woman who says she’s going to bed and gets there about two hours later because she’s cleaning and preparing for the next day.
I love having my home neat, clean and organized. But, I do feel like it’s okay to let some things sit for a while to take care of myself. If I’ve had a long day, I don’t think it’s a bad thing to go take a bath and then make dinner. We are empty nesters so I’m in a totally different place than a family who has young children on a schedule. But even when my kids were little, I thought self-care was important and I acted on it. I think it’s a great example for our kids when they see that we are important too. When we are role models on self-care, they will be taking that in and learning how to care for themselves too. Having kids turn into adults with built-in coping and self-care skills is a great thing!
So, don’t think it’s selfish if you take a break, if you take a bubble bath or you leave your kids with a babysitter to head to the salon to get your nails done. Kids need to see us care for ourselves and we don’t want to get burned out and resentful by only caring for others.
Everyone needs a break! So tune out some of the to-do’s for an hour or two and get off your feet and take care of yourself on a regular basis. Your family will be happy that you did!
