Powering Through Parenting: Why You Shouldn't Lose Yourself in the Midst of Caring for Your Kids

Let’s face it— when we become parents, our focus quickly shifts from ourselves to our children. Raising good humans becomes the priority, and any parent knows that requires time, effort, and lots of genuine, unconditional love throughout the years. While taking care of the children is an absolute necessity, it doesn’t mean you need to lose yourself in the process. Unfortunately, it happens all the time, with many women and men giving up on their hobbies, interests, and passions in life because they feel like they no longer have the time for those things. The key to happiness is finding that perfect balance between caring for the kids and still caring for yourself because you’re a priority, too.

Why It’s Important to Care for Yourself as Much as Your Children

When you put everything into caring for the children and neglect yourself in the process, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and stressed while experiencing burnout. It quickly turns into a vicious cycle, where you’re constantly putting your dreams and ambitions on the back-burner for the sake of parenthood. The burnout that you begin to experience can quickly lead to sadness and even depression.

Does raising children require your best effort? Absolutely! But, how can you give it your all and care for your children when you’re not caring for yourself? If you start to focus on your needs and ambitions, it can relieve some of the stress you feel as a parent while giving you something rewarding to look forward to each day. As you start doing more of what you love, whether it’s going on a nature walk alone, surfing the waves while at the beach, or even joining a book club, you can become a happier, more mentally healthy individual. A mentally healthy and happy parent equals happy children in the household.

Prioritizing Self-Care as a Parent

Some parents experience feelings of guilt and shame for wanting to do simple things, such as going on a weekend vacation away from the kids for a quick break or a night out with friends, but there is no shame in that. We all deserve breaks. If you’re taking time out for yourself and prioritizing self-care, you’ll be able to give more of yourself to your kid and be a more present, active, and happy parent for them. It’s easy to fall into this bad habit of neglecting yourself as a parent because you spend so much of your time taking care of others, but try to remember the importance of taking care of yourself.

Do more of what you love and make time for yourself, even if it means waking up a few hours before the children for time to exercise, read a book, or even enjoy your cup of coffee in peace. If you start practicing self-care while doing more of the things you love and are passionate about in life, you can get through this thing called parenthood with less stress and frustration than before. We all want the absolute best for our children, and the best way to make sure your kids are happy, healthy, and thriving is to be the best version of yourself.