The first thing I do is think about what I want to get done. The second thing is to get on the computer and promptly not do it. (Note to self: time to reread your post on getting off the computer!)

When do you sigh—and what’s the first thing you do?

• In five minutes, you can wipe off a small to-do list item and get real gratification and calm knowing it’s complete. For example, as thank-you notes or birthday greetings pile up, steal five minutes to write your loved one a nice card. Doing this will remind you of what really matters and at the same time relieve some of the pressure that can come with a growing list of to-do’s.
• Stealing 10 minutes to catch up with a friend on the phone can be very relaxing and give you a chance to feel connected, understood and considered. Be sure to manage expectations among your family members and let them know in advance that you are taking a private phone call with a friend you haven’t spoken to in awhile.
• 15 minutes of me-time can do a whole lot of good for the mind and body. Try escaping to a quiet room and read your favorite book. Make this time truly special, nurture yourself with a cup of your favorite tea and snuggle up in your favorite chair under a warm light.

It might not sound like very much, but taking an “all-about-you” timeout from deadlines, carpools and after-school activities will give you more energy when homework and nighttime routines demand your full attention. Remember, taking care of yourself is taking care of your family too. You will feel relaxed, refreshed and ready to help your children with any challenges they are having, personally or academically.

This is a guest post from Kumon, the world’s largest after-school math and reading enrichment program that unlocks the potential of children so they can achieve more on their own. Connect with them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kumon or Twitter at www.twitter.com/KumonNAmerica.

Yeah. So, while we talk a lot and focus a lot here (and lots of other places, naturally) on what it means to be a mother, how hard it is to be a mother and so on and so forth, somehow, we often seem to miss the real “why” of motherhood.

I know this is pretty obvious, but we’re mothers because we have children, and because we care about them. That’s the long and the short of it—that’s why it’s easy (they’re ours), and that’s why it’s hard (we care).

Now, I know when I say this, many of you will think, “Oh, but kids already think they’re the center of the universe. They need to see that they’re not!” I agree—children, especially those with SAHMs, grow up with someone around who might seem to them to exist only to fulfill their nutritional and entertainment needs.

But when I want to demonstrate, for example, that they’re not the center of the universe by taking excessive time for myself to their detriment, am I really teaching them not “You’re not the center of the universe,” but “I am?”

I don’t know. It’s a hard question to even state, since that’s seldom the problem with me time (usually the problem is that we martyr-mothers don’t take enough). And certainly there are other, better, healthier ways to teach our children to respect and value other people and their time.

What do you think? Are children too much the center of a mother’s universe? Which is the lesser of two evils: focusing too much on our children’s needs or focusing too much on our own? How do you find a balance?

• Me. Me. Me! by Shawn
• Dear God, Why Me? by Megan Toney
• I’ll take care of me, one way or the other by Daisy
• Me Time by Jill
• I’m a person, not a calculator by Tracy
• Simple Things by Ursula
• Just Like Brigitte Bardot by Mama Zen
• Work IS My Time for Myself by Believer in Balance
• What Time is It? by Mommy Zabs
• Me-Time Is All in My Head by Marta Pelrine-Bacon
• Searching For My “Me Time” by Amanda
• Who Are We Kidding? by mumple
• Me Time by Lisa
• I Need Some Me Time! by Lynnae
• My Time on the Throne by Candace (Mama Mia)
• Did Wonder Woman Ever Cry? by Julie Arduini
• Me Time! by Joleene Libby
• Me, myself and I by Deb – Mom of 3 Girls
• Don’t Just Do Something – Sit There! by phyllis
• My “me time:is what I make of it by MomOnTheGo
• Me Time for Moms by Jordan (MamaBlogga)

Now, feel free to spread the link love by copying the above list (instructions) and posting it to your own blog. Believe me—they all deserve it (and some serious “me time”).

The Winna!
Chosen at random the winner of our prize, a $30 Amazon.com gift certificate, is <drum roll>…

Me Time! by Joleene Libby

Congratulations, Joleene, on not only winning the gift certificate (again, she was chosen at random!) but also on participating in a GWP for the first time! The gift certificate will be winging its way to you soon!

Still working on your entry? Even though we’ve awarded our prize, we’ll continue to accept, read, link to and comment on submissions through next week.

Though it’s easy to look back and think that I haven’t really had any “me time” since my son was born, I know that isn’t the case. There was a while there where I got in the habit of getting up at 7, while Hayden suddenly began sleeping in until 8 or 9. I could get a jump start on work, I could write something great on MamaBlogga (well, as great as I get), I could read my favorite blogs, and not have to worry about my personal projects until Hayden went down for a nap.

And then he started waking up at 6:45.

When Hayden still took three naps, I had up to 5.5 hours to myself during the day—plenty of time to get lots of work done and spend time straightening up the house and doing things I wanted to do. Of course, as soon as I came to rely on this, Hayden stopped taking his third nap. After a while, two naps came to be more than adequate.

And then, of course, he was down to one, which has been whittled away until some days it’s not even enough to get all my work done. (Let’s not even discuss the normal state of disarray the house is in!)

But then there’s the other side of the coin—the special occasions where I get to go out (or stay home) without my family. And feel guilty or simply miss my family.

While I spend much of my time wishing for regular “me time,” I don’t know what I’d do if I took it!

Edited to add: as I read through your wonderful entries, I realized that “In my opinion, anything that helps you to feel recharged, happy and more or less ready to take the next onslaught of life’s challenges counts as ‘me time.’” This definition is much broader than what many of us think of—pampering, relaxation, etc. But this is what I’m looking for in “me time.”

After eight excellent Group Writing Projects, we’re gonna do it again. It’s time for the January MamaBlogga Group Writing Project!

In honor of this time of year, the theme for the January Group Writing Project is “Me time.” Feel free to write about how you take time for yourself, how you need time for yourself, what you do with time for yourself, and/or anything else that comes to mind.

Feel free to go in any direction that appeals to you. Even if you don’t choose to participate, you can encourage others to participate!

• Your post can take any form as long as it reflects this theme—this includes anything from serious to sarcastic, about your children, your future children, your pet, etc.
• You can participate with a blog post, a podcast, a video, a page on your website, etc., etc. If you don’t have a website, contact me and I’ll be happy to publish your entry here on MamaBlogga.
• Only NEW posts (i.e., posts have not been published prior to 28 January 2008) are eligible. Posts must be submitted through the submission form before Sunday, 3 February 2008.

Why participate?
There are lots of reasons to participate! All entries that meet the guidelines will be listed and linked to here on MamaBlogga. This an opportunity for you to discover new blogs (and for others to discover yours!). In July, I came up with five ways to get the most out of the GWP.

And, of course, there is one more incentive: one lucky post author, drawn at random, will receive a $30 gift certificate to Amazon.com (to be announced Tuesday, 5 February 2008).

Finally, we’d appreciate it if you linked to this post or to the guidelines/submission form on your entry post so that others can learn about the project and participate.

Now get writing!