When you bring your multiples home from the hospital, your life will change in many ways.  One of the biggest changes you will experience is there is no longer such a thing as “me” time.  At least it might seem that way because you will be so caught up in changing diapers, feeding and keeping their schedules that there is no time left at the end of the day.

Yes, as a new parent you can expect that to happen for the most part.  When you sign up for parenting multiples you are signing up for a lifestyle change.  What you need to realize is that you need to make time for yourself, even if it is just 5-10 minutes out of the day.  While that might not seem like a lot of time, it can make all the difference in the world to your sanity and can actually refresh you for the rest of the day.

It took me a long time to realize this.  I was determined to be the best Mommy in the world.  I had waited a long time for the blessing of my twins and I threw myself in head first.  There would be no complaining about lack of sleep or no time to scrapbook.  This was my job now and every single second needed to be devoted to them.

What I realized after about 3 months was that, in order to be the best Mommy in the world, I had to take a little break every now and then.  I actually found this out in a simple way.  One afternoon the kids were playing in their bouncy seats and I looked at my toes and calculated whether or not I had the time to paint my nails.  Would I be neglecting them if they hung out in their seats for 5 minutes while I did something for myself?  This might seem like a stupid question to many of you.  Of course it would be ok to paint my nails!  They were having a fun time laughing in their seats and playing with the toys dangling over their heads.

So I got out my nail polish and painted my toenails, something that had not been done for almost 3 months since they were born early and spent time in the NICU.  So I got out the polish and took pampered my toes.  When I was finished, I realized that they were still having a good time and I wasn’t “neglecting” them.  They were perfectly fine and it was perfectly fine for me to do something for myself.

After that day, I made it a point to do something for myself each day.  I would read a few articles in a People Magazine or read a chapter in a book.  I kept my nails looking good.  Some days I would treat myself to a Frappacino or make a beaded bracelet.  Although I still devoted a majority of my day to my children, I began to realize how important it was to give 15 minutes to myself each day too.

I also began to make it a point to get outside, even if it was just for 10-15 minutes.  Fresh air was important to me and to the children.  We began to take a daily stroll, weather permitting.  On hot or cold days we would stroll in the mall for a short period of time.  It was good for them to experience different sights and smells and good for me to get out of the house.

From my first two wonderful years with my children, one of the biggest things I have learned is that it is important for my well being and their well being to do something for myself every now and then.  It doesn’t make me a bad parent to go for coffee with a friend every now and then or even read a magazine while they look at books.  In fact, I believe that it has helped me to be a better parent.  For this reason, I encourage you to make time for yourself when you have multiples.  It is more challenging the first few months, but once things slow down, find what it is that you are missing or needing and treat yourself to a few minutes of personal time each day.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 9th, 2006 at 4:03 am and is filed under Multiples. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.