Can a pedicure make you a better mum?

Being a mum is tiring at the best of times. Lack of sleep and stress levels increase even more when your children are ill. Even more so when one child is ill and the other keeps you up all night.


This has been me for the best part of this week. My 5 month old has decided that sleeping through the night isn't for him yet and wakes frequently. Sometimes to feed, sometimes to chat and giggle (it's cute but not quite as entertaining at 3am). The feed is often more of a snack as he is tired and drifts back off to sleep after just a few minutes of sucking.


My 4 years old has a cough. Nothing bad but it does mean that when he comes home from playschool he is more tired than usual. More tired tends to make him demand more attention, have no patience and results in him losing interest in whatever he might be doing quite quickly. No big deal but coupled with several consecutive nights of little to no sleep it can become quite draining.


I don't seem to be able to catch up on my sleep day or night but I've discovered that grabbing a couple of minutes to pamper myself a bit does wonders for getting me through the day.

This morning, whilst eldest was at playschool and youngest was happily sitting in his rocking chair, I decided to give myself a pedicure. Those few minutes of washing my feet, cutting my toe nails and massaging in a foot cream put the worlds to rights again.


So how does this make me a better mum? Simple, it relaxed me. It eased away some of my stress and helped make me feel human again. I felt I had more energy and felt good for having done something for myself for once (it's easy to neglect yourself when you have kids to look after). 


Post-pedicure, although still in need of a good nights sleep, I was less stresses and better able to deal with the demands of my children.


Little things can make a big difference.


Image source: tompies10 via flickr.com

Make time for mummy

When you have a little one to take care of it's easy to forget about yourself. Between nappy changes, feeding, playtime etc... it's hard to fit in time to dedicate to yourself.

It's important though for both you and the child, that you take a little time out every once in a while.

What you do with that time will depend on how much of it you have, your budget and what you enjoy doing.

Here's a few simple ideas worth a try (some of my favourite 'time for mummy' activities):

A relaxing bath is a great way to unwind and clear your thoughts.

Make the most of it by adding some bubble bath or bath salts, wack on an intense hair mask or light some candles. You might want to have some soft music playing in the background or just listen the silence.

Great for making you feel human again.

Shopping. A little retail theraphy is a popular activity and great for a number of reasons:

1. You get to buy yourself something new. A little reward for all that good 'mumming' you've been doing :)
2. You get exercise. You'd be surprised at how much walking you do when you shop. Great for burning calories and getting back your figure. All those bags are much more fun than doing weights at a gym.
3. Can be done alone or with friends as a social activity.

The hairdressers. A haven created to make you feel good.

A relaxing head massage as they wash your hair, the wonderfully smelling products that give your hair back it's bounce and shine...

Another plus point?

Reading the magazines while you wait. With a small child it's hard to find the time to catch up on gossip mags or the latest fashions. Hairdressers normally have a good selection of the latest releases for you to browse.



These are just a few ideas. You could of course, meet a friend for a drink, go to a museum or show, sign up for a weekly dance class... There are lots of things you can do in just a short amount of time. Even if you give yourself just one hour a day by getting someone else to step in and look after the little one, you'll notice the difference.

How do you like to pamper yourself in your 'time for mummy'? How much time out do you give yourself?