Right across the street from my house there is this nice older lady that lives alone. She is a nice and chill person who easily walks in and out of her house to leave whenever she pleases, she takes nice morning walks with her dog (and sister when she visits) and she loves being outdoors on the beautiful evenings watering her nice and well-kept front yard with her perfectly clean water hose that has that has soft, convenient shower-like nozzle. She is so sweet and friendly and waves every time she catches me outside upon taking off somewhere in her 2 door ’67 Chevy Impala.
You know what I’ve noticed about this Woman? When it comes to my super friendly and sociable husband, they can so easily have a 2 minute conversation if they catch each other. As for the waving part? She just saves that for me. It is quite clear that she keeps her distance for a reason😆 My obvious introvert side helps but her distance has clearly made me aware of how psycho I must act every time I have to leave the house with 3 kids under 3! And with my screen door open during the day…you imagine the rest! I’ve even vented out loud in and out of my house how these kids constantly have me yelling like some freakin’ lunatic!
The lack of peace is that ridiculous. Everyone has that one neighbor that can be heard losing her sanity at times. And around here, that’s me. I’m “that neighbor” and no one talks to me. Another lady the same age (who also lives alone) literally lives right next door to the one I just told you about and I swear sometimes I imagine them just gossiping about me😂
Yelling, “herding”, repeating, disciplining, etc. in the midst of their constant bickering, hollering, whining, repeatedly asking for things, following you and touching you all the time…How DO you find a sense of peace and quiet? What can you do to catch a break, re-energize and recover for a fresh start when you need it, that way that way you can function with more grace, and therefore set an overall calm tone in your kids and your environment in general as well as your own peace of mind?
Keep reading to see what ways I have found to acquire and embrace quiet, calm, and peaceful moments even when my toddlers depend on me 24/7. I literally have no support system other than just my husband, so I can assure you these tips are genuinely realistic!
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Rise early (at least an hour before the kids)
Ah mornings! I swear for me there is no greater peace than a quiet, sunny morning when all I hear are birds chirping and my coffee brewing☺ What a bliss! (p.s. follow my instagram 👇 to catch moments like this with me!)
Nap time
I have Irish twins who’ve always have their 2 hour nap at exactly the same time, so that became MY time!
Send the kiddos to bed a little extra early
Pick occasional days where you send your kiddos to sleep extra early and at the same time keep yourself up a little extra late and use this calm time for you.
Go for a spin
This is one of those approaches I’ve taken upon reaching my whit’s end. I load every one in our Suburban (ideally during naptime) and take a drive, making them all fall asleep! That way I can just drive and chill in silence or park wherever I want and enjoy whatever I want. Last time I did this, I parked in a shade and enjoyed some chicken nuggets😉
Leave them with someone
In my case, that someone would be my husband. Last Saturday I left at 5:30am to go chill at my favorite local coffee shop and stayed there for a couple hours! It was ssooo nice! I was the only costumer and it was such a bliss to watch the day’s sunlight approach from that place while I worked on my blog and enjoyed a hot mocha! Follow me on my Instagram to catch (and be inspired by) all my blissful moments!☺
Have a quiet toys bin
Have a designated play area (and time) where your kiddos can play only with whatever you choose to place in this special basket that will make minimum noise and/or you can also pick an independent play activity for them to do so that you can go to your own little Mommy designated corner to catch a break!
Create a consistent reading time schedule
Depending on your children’s age, set a certain amount of minutes per day to exclusively sit and read books. It is ideal to create a consistent schedule for this in order for it to work. It can be everyday right after lunch for example or after snack time. Whenever you need that break the most during the day!
Screen time when you need it
Yes I just suggested that. I’m that Mom who swore screen time would never be an option, but believe me, it eventually (and inevitably) does become a quite indispensable option!
Family devotions
Use family time as a moment to ground yourselves and either take this time to read the Children’s Bible and talk or do a calm family-friendly activity. Ideally right before bed would be really nice!
Engage in a quiet table activity with them
The possibilities are endless with this one but is a great one for times you just want some peace but also to engage in quality time with the kids. There’s all things coloring, puzzles, painting, drawing, play dough, you name it!
Take them to a park (ideally with a pond)
Ok so we have a local family-friendly park with a pond that has a large fountain and there are so many ducks and geese. I will take my babies for a nice picnic and lay completely on my back afterwards, taking in the sound of the fountain while they feed the ducks with some bread. That breath of fresh air is life!
Take a break from technology
In all honesty, there is nothing louder in my life than social media. When I reach for my phone, it is highly likely because I am about to go on Instagram, and then maybe Facebook. The voices, images, and influence on these platforms can be beyond overwhelming and even depressing, depending on your self-concept and particular lifestyle. There is no higher lack of peace than a concerned heart or mind with all that online noise out there shoving superficial standards down your throat!
Play relaxing music
Ok so in case you haven’t noticed or don’t follow me on Instagram, I absolutely love mornings! It is the ultimate time of day to set the tone in the home for an overall graceful flow of the day, especially with young kids. When my babies get up, I make some soft relaxing music is ready to go for the moment they wake up. It really, really sets the tone!
Trade duties with a fellow trusted Mama
I’m part of a Mom’s club that see each other multiple times a week for outings like story time, park play times, work-outs, etc. These Moms will trade favors, like take one Mama’s child for the day and vice versa for when that other Mom needs a morning off and so on.
If your outdoors are safe, send them out to play
Do you have a private back yard? What’s it there for, send them out to enjoy the outdoors! If you can send them out to play and you can stay in the house or even supervise them through a window, that’s a great opportunity for some silence for a while. My bedroom window for example is exactly where they play, so I will send them out and literally lay on my bed with the window open just watching them while I take in that fresh breeze through the window screen!☺
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, there is no greater peace of mind than there is for person who can embrace a sense of silence from their very own heart no matter how loud your environment is. You can lie on green pastures, beside still waters and still be restless if you don’t train your heart to be still.
It will take consistent breaks mentioned above in order for your heart and mind to be nurtured enough for you to manage grounding yourself whenever you have the need to do so, regardless of your outer circumstances.
Give it a try, and when you do, don’t feel guilty. Keep in mind that this is not being carried out at your family’s expense but that it’s being done FOR them, because a happy Mom = a happy Home!
Ok so you get to have some peaceful time, but now what? How to take advantage of it?
If you’re anything like me, you know that when you’ve gotten even just 30 minutes to do whatever you wanted, you went clueless and panicked over deciding to eat, sleep or clean.
If this sounds anything like you, I have just the thing you need to decide right off-the-bat what to do with times like that!
Below is a list of things to choose from that are actually enjoyable and a luxury to Moms who just need a moment to themselves. They are specific to satisfying that needed sense of calmness and relaxation!
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