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by
Catherine Pruissen
As
a parent or child care provider, you spend the majority
of your days taking care of your family, your friends,
and your work. Now it's your time to take care of
yourself.
If
you're like most parents and child care providers,
you are probably shaking your head right about now
and saying you simply don't have the time to wallow
in self-indulgence. But the fact is,
you need to find the time. Your ability to to take
care of all those charges in your life depends on
your own health and well-being.
Thankfully
taking time for you doesn't have to take a lot of
time or effort. What follows are some inexpensive
and time-efficient ways to help you care forthe caregiver
and add a positive lift to your life.
- Put
on your favorite music and sing your heart out.
Music soothes even the toughest soul
- Allow
your self to have that good cry. It'll feel as though
all your troubles have been lifted off your shoulders.
(Then reward yourself with a nice hot cocoa or cup
of tea.)
- Maintain
a bedtime ritual. Just like you help your kids to
unwind before putting them to bed, do the same for
yourself. Soothe yourself with a hot bath, read
that book you've been dying to finish, cuddle up
in bed and write your thoughts in a journal before
you fall asleep.
- Hug
your children and your spouse.
- Take
a 20 minute walk a couple of times a week. Walk
with a friend or a neighbour. Enjoy the time chatting
and laughing.
- Play
your music loudly while you do your housework...and
sing loudly too. Not only is the exercise you get
from house cleaning good for you, but you'll find
it a lot more enjoyable when you sing and dance.
If the family complains....ask them to join you,
but don't give in.
- Looking
to relieve a bit of stress? Why not scream into
a pillow? It beats taking your frustration out on
the people around you.
- If
you can't find the time to skip out on your family
for some private "you" time, why not join
your kids in a game of tag, a turn on the swing,
or a run around the bases when you hit the ball
that nearly hit you when your child pitched it?
You'll not only get a good stress-busting laugh
out of the adventure, you'll actually get in a bit
of the exercise you were want to do. More importantly,
you'll be spending some quality time with your children
( a great guilt-buster too boot).
- A
smile always lifts the spirits. Try smiling at three
people you have never met before.
- Finally,
give yourself the gift of extra sleep, even if it's
only an extra ten minutes. It all adds up. And rest
is vitally important to your health.
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©
Catherine M. Pruissen
Catherine M. Pruissen is the CEO of About Child Care
Consumer Services and developer of child care online.
She has published numerous child care related literature,
including Start and
Run a Profitable Home Day Care, The
Daycare Alternative, How to Find Good Child Care,
Caregiver Aids: Business
Forms for Caregivers and Parents, Income
Tax & Record Keeping for Child Care Providers,
and a host of workshops and workbooks. She was the editor
and publisher of the bi-monthly newsletter, Parent Care,
Your Child Care News-line. Catherine was also the coordinator
and workshop facilitator for The Child Care Information
Centre in Calgary, Alberta, and ran a successful dayhome
for eight years. |
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Conduct complete background checks on your Nanny or child care
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