Taking Time For Personal Care

Being a busy wife and mother makes it very hard to take time for personal care. When I was adjusting to motherhood a few months ago, there were days I didn't take the time to shower and dress until shortly before my husband came home from work. It was just easier to clean house and care for the baby without having to worry about showering and dressing or even sitting down to eat food. However, I have become increasingly aware of the need to take the time at the beginning of the day for personal care. When my hair is done, make-up is on and I am dressed neatly at the start of the day--that day goes a whole lot smoother than if I didn't take the time to prepare myself for it. 

Now when little Emma wakes up-pretty much on the dot at 7 in the morning, she is hungry. So my first order of business is to feed her. Now that she is eating some solids, I can sit her down for oatmeal and fruit and I can eat a healthy breakfast while I feed her. After that, I can set her up with some toys in the bathroom floor while I take a shower. Then I move her to our room while I dress, put on make-up, and do my hair. Then I dress her and get her ready for the day. By 8-8:30 we are both fed and dressed for the day. 


Taking the time seems like a nuisance, and there are many days I am tempted to skip drying my hair and wash the dishes in the sink or run off to some other task that needs to be done. If I can simply stick to getting myself ready and then moving on, it helps me stick to other tasks throughout the day without jumping from one to the next as well.