One of the biggest lessons I had to learn as a new mom was that I no longer had time to lay around in my pajamas, or watch movies in a leisurely relaxing fashion. And free time? It doesn't exist anymore. And that, my friends, almost drove me to insanity--until I started stealing time.
Yep--you heard me. I steal time for myself and I am not ashamed to admit it. How else am I going to have time to write this newsletter. Or like take a shower. Or stay sane. So, I developed a systematic approach to find time for myself. It's pretty simple and I am sure you could make it work for you too--so you could find a free moment to read a chapter of your favorite book. Watch that movie you are dying to see. Or, you never know, snuggle up to your significant other and get a little action going--one just doesn't know what can get done in 15 minutes until you try do you?
Here's the simple rules:
1) Steal time steal from your significant other--in my case my husband. Really--these others are grown adults. You don't need to spend every waking moment attending to them. So instead of washing their dirty underwear RIGHT NOW-- go enjoy something for yourself.
2.) Steal time from your urchins (i.e. children). Right now--I should be watching, interacting, or maybe even challenging my son in some educational or fun activity. But instead, I have water ready to boil on the stove for dinner, the television blaring The Little Mermaid, and my laptop open so I can write this. If I didn't steal this time--I would never write. And thus, not be trying to reach my dream of publishing a novel and honing my craft of writing.
3.) Steal time from ridiculous housework activities. How do you do this? Is there laundry that needs to be done? Put ONE load in the wash, and right when you press start, give yourself 5 - 10 minutes (or however long you can keep your kiddos occupied with art or playdough or books, or naptime), and paint your toenails--or some activity you love.
See, 3 steps, that is all it takes. If you do each of these once a day, you've gained 45 minutes (roughly) or YOU time. Some people call this time management--but it is more like juggling my needs versus everyone else's--so go for it. You deserve a bit of time to yourself!
Bethany Hiitola lives in a far north suburb of Chicago with her husband, son and new daughter. Throw in the animals, and it is a full house of chaos. Somehow, Bethany still manages to reach for her dream of writing—all between diaper changes, nap times, fixing meals, and work projects. Oh and giving her husband the attention he deserves. More details are at her website: www.bethanyhiitola.com
I agree with your 3 ways to steal time. 3 is a magical number Sometimes it gets hard to remember ourselves when we have so many missions to accomplish and a baby that is completely dependant on us. It took a while for me to give myself time, but once I allowed it in my new life, I became a better mom, wife and person. One extra thing I do is lie on the carpet and let my child play around me. My daughter gets so excited when I'm at her level and I am a happy camper because, for just a few moments, I am resting!
Mom Topics 
One of the biggest lessons I had to learn as a new mom was that I no longer had time to lay around in my pajamas, or watch movies in a leisurely relaxing fashion. And free time? It doesn't exist anymore. And that, my friends, almost drove me to insanity--until I started stealing time.
Sometimes it gets hard to remember ourselves when we have so many missions to accomplish and a baby that is completely dependant on us. It took a while for me to give myself time, but once I allowed it in my new life, I became a better mom, wife and person. One extra thing I do is lie on the carpet and let my child play around me. My daughter gets so excited when I'm at her level and I am a happy camper because, for just a few moments, I am resting!
