If you stay at home too long, you can go cuckoo. Cabin fever, it’s called. If you also do a lot of things repeatedly such as watching Kung Fu Panda or washing poop, you can go a little crazy. Then there’s Elmo everyday. What do you call that? Mommy Madness? Mommy Mania? Whatever it’s called, Mommy needs to save her sanity. Take her out to dinner! Give her some time to recharge! Please take out Elmo’s voice from her head!!! Here are five sanity-savers for this Mommy. Read on and let me know if any of these have saved you from joining the crazy house too.
Sanity saver #1: Playing video games
“You have time for video games?,” my friend asked in disbelief, knowing how packed my day usually is. “Oh honey, I make time for video games,” I replied. Since the day is all about the baby, my personal time comes in during his naps or when he’s finally gone to bed at night. If I don’t use that free time to work at home, I use it to play The Sims 3. It’s a form of escape.
In the Sims world, everything is perfect! Weeeee!
Sanity saver #2: Being stuck in heavy traffic
“How on earth can you enjoy being sandwiched by so many cars and being glued to your car seat for hours?,” my good friend asked.
Here’s why it’s good for my sanity: During those hours, there are no chores to run. There’s no chasing to be done. There’s no poop to wash. The baby is home safe with his grandparents, and I’m in the car alone with my thoughts (and sometimes a bag of M&M’s). Peace and quiet = recharging my sanity batteries. Never mind if there’s a jam of cars and trucks outside. In that little cove of a cab, I have achieved inner peace. Master Shifu would be proud of me. (I told you I watch too much Kung Fu Panda.)
Sanity saver #3: A loooooooooooooooong shower
A typical day’s shower can be accomplished in three steps: (1) Shampoo (2) Soap (3) Rinse. It can take place within 3 minutes max. I’ve done it. A 3-minute shower is just the right length of shower time. See here:
Minute 1: Baby is left with Grandma to play and begins choosing his toys to play with or books to read.
Minute 2: Baby is engaged in whatever activity he’s decided on.
Minute 3: Baby’s attention begins wandering, then realizes I’m not beside him.
Before he can scream WHERE’S MY MOMMY?!?!?! in baby babble, I’m out the bathroom, dry and fully-clothed. Mommy’s here! Do that everyday and it can drive you crazy bit by bit. That’s why a loooooooong shower is a major sanity saver. Finallly, I’d be able to use that creamy body wash! That body brush! That body puff! Heck, maybe I’d even have time to moisturize! Oh, to have a long shower, perchance to dream.
Sanity saver #4: A walk in the neighbourhood with the boy
Duh, you might think. Walking can bring down anyone’s cuckoo level. True, but try walking with a hyper toddler in tow. I could just leave the little spark plug at home with good company and go on a solo walk, right? Right! But I like taking him on walks with me. The fresh air invigorates me. The warm sun relaxes me. Most of all, seeing my kid explore the outdoors with such wonder recharges me. Never mind if I’m chasing him almost every step of the way.
Sanity saver #5: Reading anything that does not have topics on cleaning, parenting, marriage, poop, snot, picky eating, toddler troubles, household management, and motherhood
Thank you, Archie Comics.
These five things keep me from joining the Mommy crazy house. What are your sanity savers? Do share and let’s learn more ways of turning down the craziness!
Credit: Image by origami potato c/o Flickr
Hi! I'm Toni Tiu,
and I've been blogging at
at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.
Chizbun
September 9, 2011 at 3:36 pm (13 years ago)I have these…
*Grocery shopping – I separate shopping for the babies from shopping for my personal toiletries, everyday office baon, my snacks and other whatchamacallits..
*Watching my favorite dvds – Like you, I do this while the girls are napping. If I do this while they’re awake, they keep typing words I don’t understand on my laptop. Plus, How I Met Your Mother makes me feel like college and single again!
*I tinker with my iPhone – Zombie farm, Tiny tower, Slimes vs. Mushrooms, Instagram, Angry Birds are a few of my favorite apps!
*Reading – I have a long list of books pending to be read. I love it that I get so immersed in a book that I forget other problems and chores around me. I do wish the girls can inherit my love for books.
*Bookstore window shopping – For the love of books! To be honest, I’m a book hoarder. But I’m proud most books I have are bargain finds. That’s money well-spent!
Em
September 9, 2011 at 11:04 pm (13 years ago)Like you, I get to watch movies (downloaded ones) only when the little one is asleep.
I get to read blogs from my mobile because reading a book or sometimes a magazine does not last for 5mins. Either she gets it from me or she hands me something else that we could both read on.
Should I want I longggg shower, it has be done with her (which is almost everyday —-kasama ko padin sya).
I love doing the groceries but then again, she’s in the cart while I push.
I’m not quite sure if those that I’ve mentioned above keeps me from being insane. As you can see, my little girl is like my tail. Buntot palagi, kung nasan ako, andun din siya
And oh!, if you have Elmo every day, I have Mickey Mouse. Not just everyday but also everywhere. In the bed, in the kitchen and even in the bathroom.
Ma. Teresa Grech Quiatchon Racal
September 10, 2011 at 9:40 am (13 years ago)me naman, when I had that chance to be released from the mommy works, I had the chance last year during vacation to read the whole Twilight saga. hahaha! I really had the nicest time. another of my “me time” is going to the grocery and going to the public market…really when I go to the public market, pag uwi ko iba na ang energy ko. hahaha!
Ma. Teresa Grech Quiatchon Racal´s last blog post ..Josephine Therese: Our Middle Child
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