Last night after a long day of work, I was folding laundry with my daughter. I was tired and grouchy and was snippy. My daughter talks a lot and I wasn’t able to keep up with answering her questions and funneling her incredible energy while doing chores (which was the last thing I wanted to be doing after a long work day!) and one of my responses was curt. She said:

Mom, do you need a break from me?

My heart sank. Blow to the chest. Mommy fail.

I stopped right then and there and made sure that she knew that she was not the problem, was the problem. I needed a break, not from her but from work.

My kiddo woke up with a runny nose this morning and while she could have gone to school, I called her out sick. I blocked off my morning and spent time with my little lady.

We took a little longer having breakfast, cuddled for a while then went on a nature walk around our neighborhood.

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Working hard doesn’t mean working all the time. This little break from work for me (and for my daughter from school…she is 4, taking a “sort of sick” day is not going to ruin her college admission potential) made a BIG difference in our energy and happiness.

We skipped on the hike (how many almost 40-year olds do you know who skip!?), held hands and had a blast. Then, when I started my workday at 10am, I was feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the world.

You cannot pour from an empty cup.

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Don’t forget to fill yourself up and take small (and large!) breaks to do what you love and be with the ones you love.