Apr 28, 2023·edited Apr 28, 2023Liked by Jill Krause
I see this more like you are showing your kids how to be a real person, with wants and needs. I am not a fan of the martyr mother syndrome, whether married or single. I can totally understand a single parent who says, "I don't have time or energy or interest in dating." That's fine. But I don't think it's necessarily healthy to deny oneself "for the kids." Self-care isn't just bubble baths. It's an underlying belief, "My needs matter." So whether it's dating or roller derby or an ambitious career or a social network, I think it's perfectly appropriate for a parent to have their own 'thing' outside of parenthood. That's it is actually BETTER for kids to see that they are *not* the end-all, be-all, that parents have a life. Because you know what? They are going to be adults for far more time than they are going to be children, so it's great for them to see how an adult can lovingly & thoughtfully balance their own needs with their kids needs, and probably make some mistakes sometimes or overbalance one way or the other, but that's all part of the journey.
I see this more like you are showing your kids how to be a real person, with wants and needs. I am not a fan of the martyr mother syndrome, whether married or single. I can totally understand a single parent who says, "I don't have time or energy or interest in dating." That's fine. But I don't think it's necessarily healthy to deny oneself "for the kids." Self-care isn't just bubble baths. It's an underlying belief, "My needs matter." So whether it's dating or roller derby or an ambitious career or a social network, I think it's perfectly appropriate for a parent to have their own 'thing' outside of parenthood. That's it is actually BETTER for kids to see that they are *not* the end-all, be-all, that parents have a life. Because you know what? They are going to be adults for far more time than they are going to be children, so it's great for them to see how an adult can lovingly & thoughtfully balance their own needs with their kids needs, and probably make some mistakes sometimes or overbalance one way or the other, but that's all part of the journey.