Refilling The Well With Mom Dates

May 28th, 2008 | by Me |

This month’s LargerFamilies.com’s Post-Mother’s Day Topic asks the question: How do you take care of yourself?

“Of course, none of us went into this mom-of-a-big-brood thing with the expectation that it would come with oodles of free time. But as we all know, you have to refill the Mom well from time to time, or you’ll have nothing left to give your family! This month, we’ll be talking about nurturing our health and wellbeing, reducing stress, finding (or making) time for a favorite hobby…all the many ways moms of many find to take care of themselves.

It goes without saying that those employed in the creative, motherly arts are at risk for burnout. Mothering can be a high stress occupation, even though it offers the best benefits, hands down.

Years ago I discovered Julia Cameron’s Artist Way and learned about Artist Dates. Cameron’s premise is simple: one hour of pure unadulterated “me” time per week will refill your well of creativity and bring clarity of purpose. Now for many mothers, finding ten uninterrupted minutes alone in the bathroom is a challenge. How on earth can you find sixty minutes just for fun?

Read the rest of my response at Larger Families

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  1. 6 Responses to “Refilling The Well With Mom Dates”

  2. By suburbancorrespondent on May 28, 2008 | Reply

    I’m still trying to figure out the “solo parenting with 5 kids” deal. I was hoping to find more info in your profile, but it’s not there. Care to share the ages of your kids, etc.?

    I love Julia Cameron! Did you read her The Right To Write?

  3. By Amy on May 28, 2008 | Reply

    I adopted Charlotte Mason’s “Mother Culture” idea as my own a long time ago. In order to be the best mommy I can be - I need to keep reading good books, take care of myself, and nourish myself! Lately, I find that my knitting time (either Tuesday nights w/o kids or Friday morning dragging them along lol) meets my needs! But a pedicure once in a while is a huge pick-me-up too! Best $25 I can spend on myself!

  4. By Me on May 28, 2008 | Reply

    Suburbancorrespondent wrote:
    “I’m still trying to figure out the ’solo parenting with 5 kids’ deal.”

    You and me both! I’ve been parenting for 13 years, but only the last 2 have been solo, so I’m still a novice at it.

    “I was hoping to find more info in your profile, but it’s not there. Care to share the ages of your kids, etc.?”

    Nope, not a lot of details on the about page. For my family’s security and privacy, that’s not likely to change anytime soon. If you take a quick sec to look at my tag cloud, you can probably figure out why.

    “I love Julia Cameron! Did you read her The Right To Write?”

    Yes! It was the first Julia Cameron book I read and challenged me in a way that I wasn’t prepared for. I don’t even think I finished it, but she kept popping up everywhere I turned and finally I read The Artist Way.

  5. By Me on May 28, 2008 | Reply

    I’m not familiar with “Mother Culture.” I’ll have to check it out.

    And pedicures for a Mom Date? Absolutely!

  6. By Dawn @ My Home Sweet Home on Jul 22, 2008 | Reply

    Found you on my Adoptic. :-)

    How do you define artist dates? Is it engaging in particular activities, or simply one hour alone? Do you leave the house? I’ve got a full brood, too, and I think I need to sell this idea.

  7. By Me on Jul 26, 2008 | Reply

    It is time spent indulging your playful, creative self, by engaging in an activity that you find enjoyable.

    You don’t *have* to leave the house, but I suggest you do, or you might never break out of the Mom Orbit and end up folding laundry or vacuuming.

    Of course, some weeks, a nice nap would be something that I really enjoy…

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