Note to Self: Take a Shower

For the mothers who stay home, or who work at home, newsflash: you gotta take care of yourself. Of course, everyone says that. But when you realize you haven’t really gotten dressed in a while (sweats & yoga pants & your husband’s bathrobe doesn’t count) or done your hair (blow dry?) or thought about facial lotion, yes, it’s time to do a little self-care.

Some crazies who aren’t parents envision parents who are at home during the day to be living the high life, replete with bon bons and being on the couch. Parents who work know how hard it is to be home, and parents who stay home know how hard it is to work. No parenting war here!

I stay home, work at home, live at home, and don’t miss my out-of-the-house job life. I don’t miss looking presentable every day. I don’t miss being up & out the door every morning by 7am. I don’t miss having to shower regularly. (Hey, before you judge, you try living in a very old cold house in a very cold state. Yup, it’s cold already and I hate showering in the cold. It’s the getting out part.)

But staying home means I take night shifts, and SweetPea doesn’t sleep through, and SuperBoy is still adjusting to moving to his big boy bed (post soon!) and my days filled with marathon style tantrums, fussiness that requires all-day-sling-wearing, books, songs, drawings, make believe, snuggling for naps, making dinner together, and sewing, blogging, and playdates. The bads & the goods.

My point, rambling though it is, is that last night I showered, blow dried my hair, applied a good amount of face lotion to a dry face, plucked a few eye brow hairs, and put in my contacts. Not for a date. Just because it had been a very very long time since I had done any or all of the above.

I forgot that in my parenting-around-the-clock world, I can make room for a little self-care. And I should. For poor AA’s sake, but also to remind my children that sometimes mama needs a little time for her, and that cleanliness is next to Godliness. Just because I’m not going to the office or court doesn’t mean I don’t need to somewhat look decent, some of the time (as I write this wearing AA’s red bathrobe).