Rest After the Holidays
Moms we made it! Christmas has come and gone once again. Did you host family for the holidays this year? Did you spend hours on end in the car travelling to see loved ones? No matter what your Christmas looked like this year, one thing is certain when you’re a mom: you are EXHAUSTED when the holidays are over! My tip for you this week is to kick back and rest. And before you laugh off that idea as impossible, hear me say this: you need a break mom. The holidays start the week before Thanksgiving and go non-stop until New Year’s Eve. You did all the shopping, decorated your home, wrapped gifts, sent in treats for your child’s classroom party, gave up your lunch break to attend the school holiday play, scheduled the sitter for all the adult parties, volunteered in the nursery for the Christmas Eve service, oh my goodness I am tired just typing out all these things! We moms go 90 miles an hour during the holiday season and so much of it is a joy:
The way the Christmas tree lights up your living room in the early hours before the kids wake.
The unexpected gift your middle-schooler chose for you and paid for himself.
The special decorations that bring back memories of holidays long past.
The look on your first-grader’s face as she sings a solo in the school performance.
The smell of hot cider and the sound of Christmas carols on repeat.
…but as joyful as it all is, it’s also a ton of work for us moms. So this week, please take my advice and take a few days off. Taking time off to relax and recharge isn’t selfish when you’re a mom; it is wise. If you don’t pause to refresh and refuel, you’ll burn out before school starts back up again.
What are some ways you can rest you may ask? How about we let our family know that we are going to take a few days to kick back and lounge around the house, watch some family movies together, read a book, or possibly sleep in a little. For those of you with really little ones who don’t have the luxury of sleeping in, try taking turns getting up early with your husband. Another way you can rest is to take a break from cooking this week. Eat leftovers, sandwiches, anything that doesn’t require a lot of preparation.
Set yourself up for success by making sure you’ve got some basics in the house (milk, bread, toilet paper…) and then tell the family you are taking a few days off from your normal mom duties. Declare a PJ day for everyone and give yourself permission to sit around and enjoy the gifts you just received. Light the fire, sit in front of it and just space out. Have a Netflix marathon, go for a walk around the block or take a long, hot bubble bath. Read a book purely for pleasure and when your kids come find you to announce they are hungry…remind them you’re off-duty and tell them to go make a sandwich!
Sometimes taking just a few days off really helps give you a fresh start for the new year. I know it’s not always possible to take a few days off, but if you are in a season of life that it is “doable” I urge you to try it!