If you’re like most busy moms, you love your kids without condition, but there are bound to be times when you need some me time, and New York City is a great place to get it. Leave the kids with your spouse, leave ‘em with your mom, or hire a reliable sitter. Once childcare is in place, head to the Big Apple for a weekend of retail therapy and pampering.
“Me time” is a requisite for happy moms
According to psychologist Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, moms ought to have at least 15 to twenty minutes of “me time” daily, and it’s best served in the afternoon. Moms who use this time to decompress and regroup between late afternoon and early evening tend to be happier and healthier than moms who are with their kids 24 hours a day. This small block of time is good, but for all around mental health, moms also need a longer amount of time strictly for themselves, reports Parenting magazine.
Nourish your body and mind in New York
Leave the kids with someone you trust, and hightail it to New York for a weekend of soul-calming pampering. Check into the EDITION Hotel by Marriott, and enjoy a relaxing massage at the on-site spa, then take a stroll to nearby Madison Square Park. If you see a bakery on the way, treat yourself to a jelly donut, and put real cream in your coffee.
The Big Apple is chock full of galleries, museums, and installations where you can feed your creative heart. Little kids aren’t always the best companions for this sort of entertainment, so leave them at home and explore the NYC art scene on your own.
If you arrive at your Marriott hotel room, and the only thing you want to do is take off your shoes and order a room service snack, do it. This is, after all, your private weekend and you’re allowed to make it anything you want it to be. If you are up to your ears in mommy chores all week, a couple of days and nights of cheesy TV movies and ordered-in meals may be just the thing you need to rev your mommy batteries before returning home and doing it all over again.
Me time to make your kids proud
When you take time for yourself and you use that time to explore your creative hobbies, you do something wonderful for your family. Even if your crafts and art are not museum quality, the fact that you create anything at all can make your children mighty proud. Claim a space in the house where you can set up an easel or put up a pottery wheel. Sign up for a class at a local community college and learn to work in another medium. Your kids will be so proud of their super creative mommy, they may brag to their friends, say parenting pros at Family Share magazine.
Being a mom is a great job to have, but it sure can be a challenge. Take a little alone time now and then, and you’ll appreciate the time you spend your kids even more.
