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Self Care? You Elusive Thing!


Looking after two young kids (3yrs and under) means that I literally have not had the luxury to really look after myself for that exact duration of time. I mean I can’t remember the last time I really looked at myself in the mirror. You know, when you realise another white hair has sneakily emerged, that a blackhead’s raised its ugly head on your nose and oh is that dried up formula behind your ear?!?


It then struck me that the beauty products and appliances I used before having kids are still being used by me today but they are serving entirely different functions. Confused? Read on to find out! 


Tweezers : I have used these to retrieve a whole lot of toilet paper shoved down the wash basin’s plughole by my very curious toddler. These are also very effective to dislodge tricky blockages (stickers, card paper etc) in the vacuum cleaner. I really hope I don’t have to engage their services to help relieve a blocked baby/toddler nose of peas, corn etc. I do not want to see that day!


Hairdryer : Amazing piece of equipment to dry out fresh wee wee from the bedsheet in cases where you don’t have a freshly laundered spare sheet or let’s face it you’re too tired to actually change the bloody sheets! Also useful to dry out other fabric in case of water, juice spills. 


Nail polish remover : Works like magic to get rid of permanent marker artwork of let’s call them...creative toddlers?! No dear smug mummy, this tip isn’t for you...you with your washable markers. Bought during the amazon sale. For which you set a reminder. Bah!


Nail polish: Great to organise toys , clothes, books. How? Use them to label and colour code shelves, baskets etc. Too tedious? I agree!! But, I’d rather they be put to some practical use instead of smirking at me every time I open my vanity drawer to grab some hair dye. 


Face wipes : As bum wipes, dusters, screen cleaners, surface cleaners etc. Basically, these are super versatile and the unfragranced variety work best! Oh wait! Did I just confuse these with baby wipes? Of course I did. I’m going to find a corner now to cry. Oh get me a wipe please. Any will do! Aargh! 


Shampoo: Don’t worry, I haven’t entirely stopped washing my hair. A bit of shampoo works wonders as a stop gap fix for bubble mix. And that rhymed! Now it’s time for a bit of slime. Sorry ! Yes I will stop now. 


This leads me to the concept of self care. It’s very easy to forget yourself in the midst of looking after everyone else’s needs. I am extremely guilty of this myself. I know that I consciously need to make time for myself. 


I recently read a post which said taking a shower, going to the toilet when you need to etc is not self care, it’s self respect. These words hit me hard. Very hard. So many times as women, we feel we’ve looked after ourselves by merely meeting our basic needs. Self care is so much more than that. It’s really doing that extra bit to make you feel pampered and special as opposed to merely facilitating your survival. 


A question that may have popped up in your mind as it has in mine is, how? How do we make time for ourselves without awakening that monster called mom guilt. The first solution that comes to my mind is enlisting support of your other half or if you’re lucky, other family members who can look after the kid(s) whilst you indulge in some well deserved self care. Setting boundaries by dedicating some reasonable amount of time for yourself every week could be another. 


Is there something that you already do that’s working well for you? Please do share in the comments section and help this mommy out! 


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