There was a time, especially when my children were much younger, when my weekend days mostly matched all my days. Steve stayed home from work, which we loved, but the basic rhythm and routine of life for the most part stayed the same.
At the time, I had been profoundly influenced by some books and blogs I read about motherhood. At their core, their message was one of "press through, die to self, do the work even when it's hard, put others first."
There was truth within this, of course, but there was also a heavy burden and guilt when I did anything except for "work."
I've shed that load now, and I want you to be free, too.
why you need a weekend:
* because moms work really, really hard
* because resignation from motherhood is not an option
* because a burnt out, exhausted mama isn't a good one
* because having your weekdays and your weekend look mostly the same is a recipe for frustration and resentment
how to have a weekend - a few ideas:
* say no to certain tasks & save them for weekdays
I rarely do laundry on the weekends. I refuse, and the refusal feels good. On Sundays I usually have to wash and dry a load, but I leave the actual folding and putting away until Monday.
* change up meals and dinner-making
Sometimes Steve will cook dinner on the weekends, which makes for a pleasant change for me. Or we'll have a night "off" from dinner and serve Amy's Frozen Burritos instead.
* saying yes to a tad more screen time
Once when I felt a rush of frustration at the lack of a weekend, I remembered my days of watching endless Saturday morning cartoons as a kid. We don't watch traditional television, but I came up with the idea of letting each child choose a Netflix video on weekend mornings. This has worked brilliantly!
They love it because I usually choose the videos during the week (mainly to prevent sibling squabbles). It's special to them and it means Steve and I have an hour and a half to sip tea together and chat, or to read a book, or to catch up on work (not too often but sometimes!)
This is what has worked for us, but let your mind go to work and brainstorm how you can change things up on the weekends.
Weekends are for mamas, too! Let's reclaim them.
“- "I've been thinking Hobbes --"
- "On a weekend?"
- "Well, it wasn't on purpose..."”
~ Calvin & Hobbes
