Reasonable Expectations

Happy April!

Even though we're all cooped up inside during the era of COVID-19, we can still delight in the sunshine of a beautiful day and the nearing of spring. I hope you got to go outside today because I foolishly didn't take that opportunity. Though I've been trying to find a new rhythm for my household, I can decidedly tell you I haven't quite found it yet.  There are too many of us in our home, kids of all ages and stages of life with competing schedules and different stresses, and though I normally find a full house joyful beyond compare, I must admit it's been challenging and stressful for me to parent, teach, run the household, and deal with the emotional labor that is motherhood. The problem has been that I have not focused on myself and what I need to make my days go more smoothly.  That's exactly what I was discussing with my Art and Science of Parenting group tonight - my mistake of not taking care of myself first, a mistake parents make often. What I tell parents all the time is that when they make sure they are well, everyone around them feels well.  So, tomorrow, I will follow the routine I crafted days ago and haven't stuck to and will let everyone else follow their own.  I will meditate in the morning, I will walk outside even though it will be raining, and I will read.  I will do everything else later, and only as much as I can. I hope you will give yourself that gift as well.

To your health!
Dr. G.