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, I 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.
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.
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.