It's Ok To Give "Yourself" A Time Out When Needed

Hooray!! It's "back to school" time - which means it's time to reset, roll up our sleeves and get ready for the year ahead! It’s both an exciting and anxious time. It’s great to finally have our kids’ idle minds focused back on learning. However, with all of the chaos and conflicting messaging about virtual vs. live school vs. homeschooling - many of us are experiencing information overload. There's so much to consider and so much to process as we make decisions! Ultimately, we all want the best for our kids. With that said, there's really no one size fits all approach at this time. In this moment, the best we can do is meet certainty with uncertainty. Much of what's going on in our world today is simply beyond our control. But nothing is more certain than our God! Even in the midst of everything that’s going on, He is with us. So we must be prayer warriors for our children and ensure them that everything will be okay.

As parents, we must be present for our children to help them navigate through these unprecedented times. We must meet them where they are. We must be the calm that they need. We must be the safe haven that they desire. We must be their place of peace, comfort, and safety. Regardless of what the “new normal” looks like for you and your children, what we can all agree on is that we have to stay involved with our kids emotionally, spiritually, and academically to keep these areas of their lives in balance. And last but not least, we must be in tune with our own emotions and do a self-check to make sure our minds are in the right place.

Get In Touch With Your Inner Peace

In order to provide comfort to our children, we must first be mindful of our own thoughts and emotions. We cannot be a place of peace for them if we don't have peace within. Right now, anxiety and stress within the home are on the rise, and because of this, we must move closer to God to be consumed by his peace. Whatever we feel, we transmit those feelings onto the home atmosphere, and our children are impacted. Thus, it's important to take a few moments for yourself daily - to meditate, relax, and exhale!

It's Ok To Give 'Yourself' A Time Out When Needed

When we feel the pressure rising, stress starts to mount, and frustrations kick in. This is inevitable. So it's ok to give yourself a time out! Sometimes we all just need a moment to regroup!! We’re normal and we all reach a boiling point at times! Don’t beat yourself up about that. Just take some time to exhale, or meditate, or pray, to even exercise to release some tension and anxiety. When you feel good, you transmit what you feel onto your kids, so they too will feel good. Remember, everything begins with you. Our thoughts provoke feelings, and our emotions flow into actions. We must monitor our thoughts.

Focus On Things Within Your Control

Sometimes we feel stressed because of all of the responsibilities that we have at home, with our children, and with work. How can we manage? Do what you can and focus on the things that you can control versus the things that you cannot. Whatever you focus on will dominate what you feel. Fixating over the things that you cannot control will only provoke feelings of fear, anxiety, helplessness, and stress. You are the parent, so you are in full control of the home environment that you create. Cling to God, let him guide you, and be practical. 

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth."

 Psalm 46:10

Read last week's Mommy Moments: Maintaining a Christ-Centered Focus