Musings: Parenting is like the inflight info, you have to look after yourself first

You can't look after anybody else if you don't look after yourself.

Over the last couple of years between lockdowns, home schooling and working from home, I've been pretty wiped out, as have many parents. With the stress of parenthood and then the additional pressures of Covid restrictions, it can all start to feel incredibly over whelming. While as parents we always want to put our children first, sometimes it's like the in flight instructions 'attend to yourself first before helping your child'. Looking after your own needs first is not always selfish and it's time we as parents stopped beating ourselves up over needing some breathing room. Whether it's just having a few child free minutes at home to take a long shower or watch that show we've put off watching or maybe even getting out of the house by ourselves for a bit, it's crucial we look after ourselves and our mental health. Not only is giving ourselves some headspace good for us, but it's good for our children too, because we can't meet their needs when we can't meet our own. Children can pick up on when we are stressed and anxious, which in turn causes them to be stressed and anxious. We can also be prone to snapping or losing our temper when we don't allow ourselves to take a break from time to time. I know getting some time to ourselves as parents is easier said than done, but it really needs to be done from time to time to improve the wellbeing of ourselves and our family.   So if you feel like you need a time out in the next few days, take it. It's not selfish, it's necessary.