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Take Time to Rest, Relax and Enjoy

By Kris Aoki

The sun rises on a new year and as moms we have great expectations of starting this year off differently. Whether it is to lose the five, okay ten pounds left from having a child or if once again we make the promise not to yell at our kids so much or even have the 'selfish' thought to find time for ourselves. I think the answer to the other items on our To Do List is to be a little 'selfish' and find time to rest, relax and enjoy.

According to the Bible, even God rested on the seventh day after creating the world! The world, or our little piece of it, is not going to fall apart if we take a break every now and then. The rest we seek may be no more than giving ourselves permission to take a nap or have a quiet time when the kids do. I'm not saying I can do this everyday because if I did, my house would never get clean! When I was pregnant with my son, I felt lazy if I took a nap when my daughter did. Now, if I could just get both kids to sleep at the same time, I would take advantage of the rest.

Sometimes we need to ask for help to get some rest and relaxation. If you are friends with other moms, even if their kids are at different stages or ages, they know what you are going through. No one is an expert at this mom thing. If they claim they are, run, don't walk, in the opposite direction. Every woman I have spoken to about being a mom has fears and doubts about if they have permanently scarred their kid for life not letting them watch another episode of Barney because we just can't stand Barney's giggle anymore. The point is, seek out friends and other moms for help. It is okay to ask a friend to watch our kids for an hour or two just so we can get some sleep, run errands and even clean the house. Some of my friends participate in a babysitting co-op where they take turns watching each others kids--guilt free!

If you want to go all out to find some rest and relaxation this year, book some time at a spa. My husband gave my best friend and me a wonderful present. We were both pregnant; she was in her first trimester and suffering from morning sickness while I was in my last trimester suffering from swollen ankles and feeling like a beached whale. So, my husband felt sorry for both of us gave us a 'Pea in the Pod' massage at The Woodhouse Day Spa. Our husbands watched the kids and we enjoyed an hour of pampering that we needed to be better moms and wives.

The year of 2007 ushers in just as much, if not more craziness as 2006, but we need to make sure to find the time to rest, relax and enjoy the little things that make being a mom so great.

Kris Aoki is a mother of two and wants to share advice, ideas, as well as helpful suggestions with other moms. She is also a freelance writer and editor from Colorado. This article appears courtesy of Lone Tree Magazine. Kris can be contacted at kris@lonetreemagazine.com.