OUR children get an overdose of “me time” since they are often preoccupied with their gadgets. Parents rarely have time for themselves since these children were born. Daddy came home tired from work but still managed to be mommy’s assistant at nights when the infant woke up in the middle of the night.
Mommy, on the other hand, got very busy with household chores. On top of that, she had to do marketing and at times, bring the children to school.
When the children are able to manage by themselves at home, parents should talk about how to have alone time. It is important, according to experts, for parents to have some time for themselves to recharge, evaluate and de-stress.
Having alone time for ourselves is an entitlement. We should grab it when the opportunity comes; otherwise, we get the feeling of being burned out or bored from doing the same daily routine.
Daddy could use the “me time” to go biking, take a trip to the gym, have some quality time with a rarely visited relative, go to the bookstore, pick a quiet spot at a coffee shop to read or watch a movie.
Mommy could choose to have her hair trimmed or have her nails done, go to a spa or opt to have a body massage, get involved in a charity project closest to her heart or call a lady friend for a dinner date.
Rose Kennedy, mother of American president John F. Kennedy, confided to a biographer how she would regularly retreat to a powder room in her house to be alone and use that moment to meditate and pray the rosary. The matriarch had eight children who were all very active physically and mentally.
The average Filipino family living in a six by six box-type shanty will find it even more impossible to have some time to be alone especially when there are six children. The mom could go to a church, find a vacant pew and sit there quietly. When praying, do not make a deal with God. Trust in His mercy then leave your concerns at the foot of the cross.
As “Desiderata” puts it, “With all the drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.” We just have to know when to retreat to see things from a better perspective.