Winning Back Time For Yourself When You Have Young Kids!

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Looking after young kids can be very time-consuming. Many new parents find that they have to give up hobbies, reduce downtime and see friends less. This loss of personal freedom can be one of the hardest things to get used to as a new parent and you may find that you start getting depressed at your inability to attend social events or pursue personal goals.

To help beat this depression, it’s important to remember that your kids will one day grow up and that you will eventually get back that free time (you’ll even start yearning for more time with your kids!). But of course, that doesn’t mean that you have to put hobbies and friends on hold until your kids are grown up. Instead, you have to learn how to temporarily adjust to having less free time by maximizing what free time you are able to get and by not being too proud to ask for help. This is vital for your mental health and ultimately your relationship with your kids. Below are just a few examples of ways in which you can win back more time for yourself.

Explore daycare and preschool options.

Preschools and daycare services can be incredibly beneficial to your kids. At a good preschool, your kids will learn social skills and various other important skills like learning to count and even spell their name. Meanwhile, you will get back some free time. While you may feel that you need to spend this time working or catching up on housework, there may still be an hour or two that you can spare for yourself.

Create a free time schedule with your partner.

If you have a partner, you may find that you’re able to create a system in which one of you looks after the kids one evening while the other engages in personal affairs like hobbies or seeing friends. You can also take it in turn to have lie ins at the weekend or share out responsibilities like taking kids to parties. This allows you and your partner some individual downtime. Just make sure that you’re also finding time to spend as a couple.

Ask other friends and family to babysit.

Friends and family members can make great babysitters, because often they will do it for free. If daycare or preschool is too expensive, you will likely need to rely on friends and family to allow yourself some free time. You could consider creating a weekly routine so that you can plan your free time each week. Just make sure that you don’t rely too heavily on this support and that you’re not taking advantage of loved ones.

Plan your evenings.

Once the kids have gone to bed, you may have a couple hours of free time. But how should you spend this free time? So that you don’t waste it, try to get into a habit of planning out your evenings. You could dedicate a night or two to hobbies like reading, blogging, gaming, crafts or home exercise. Others could be spent simply watching TV or taking a long bath.

Consider the things that you can do with your kids.

There are some personal activities you may still be able to enjoy with your kids. For example, you could catch up with friends at the park or an indoor play area, and you may still be able to exercise or go on long walks with young kids by putting them in a sling or all-terrain stroller. Don’t feel that time spent with your kids has to be centered around your kids.

*This article is based on personal suggestions and/or experiences and is for informational purposes only. This should not be used as professional advice. Please consult a professional where applicable.