Forget resolutions, start living

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Each year, on our way home from our family camping trip, hubby & I talk about our goals for the year ahead, our hopes & dreams – because long car rides on the way home from holidays are good for that 😍

As we started sharing this time, I said, “I want to focus less on what needs to be done all the time, & more on relaxing & spending time in our backyard”.

It sounds so simple. Spending quality family time at home.

But, how often do we do that?

How often do we enjoy time at home without thinking about what needs to be done, or feeling like we need to be out doing things?

How often do we do we set goals that add unnecessary pressure, rather than just simply choosing to live happy lives?

Lives where we’re not rushing about, but we’re spending quiet, quality time with those we love.

Where we’re not chasing unrealistic goals or things, but we’re content with what we have.

Where we’re not trying to be so many things, but we value ourselves & the skin we’re in.

Where we’re finding the joy in the little things & choosing to be grateful for what we’ve invited into our lives…

So, when we’re setting your intentions for 2019, let’s forget the standard New Years resolutions around weights, diets, achievements, reductions, etc.

Let’s focus on the lives we’re living & the parts that fill our heart & soul.

Focus on the emotions we want to feel, the vibe we want to have, the moments we want to savour, the foods we want to enjoy, the company we want to laugh with.

Let’s focus on how many quiet moments we can create, how much giving we’re doing & how much receiving, how much we’re listening to our bodies & what they need, & how we’re riding the waves.

Let’s focus on living ✨

Us

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Yesterday, we had a whole day of just us 💛

We were so grateful to have my wonderful in-laws offer to have the kids for the day so that we could finish building the kids main Christmas present, & to clean & sort the house for Christmas dinner tomorrow night, to prep for events after Christmas & finish some shopping etc.

With a big list of things to do, I decided that we’d make the most of our time together & start the day (once hubby dropped the kids off) with a walk on the beach & breakfast. I couldn’t tell you when the last time we’d done that was, but to be out in the sunshine together, without rushing to an event or to be doing anything but enjoying each other’s company was amazing!

It gave us such a boost, & we just had such a great day (& so productive!!), despite the rest of the day being ‘chores’ that we were given uninterrupted time & space to do 💛

If you can make the time / create the space over the Christmas holidays to do something together, in day light hours, I highly recommend it! Even if it’s just as simple as a 30min walk while the kids stay back with the family at the holiday accommodation if that suits your plans 💖

Becoming parents for the first time changes your relationship. Really changes it.

When you add a beautiful child into your relationship, the love you have for each other changes as you witness each other become parents & grow into your new roles. There are new milestones that bring a new level of excitement & more to celebrate. You are amazed at what you have created together & you grin when you say things like, ‘the three of us will be at Christmas lunch’ 💛

Whilst becoming parents brings a new level of love, & lots of positivity, it also brings extra tensions & challenges to your relationship. When you bring a bundle of joy into the world that needs your full attention, creates sleep deprivation / general exhaustion, needs so much of your time, changes your roles in the house, adds new financial costs changes your communication – ‘can you go & get a nappy for me, can you hold baby while I do this, have they had a feed, what time did they wake, are they due for another sleep, do they need a nappy change? etc. new pressures are added to your relationship.

Things then continue to evolve and there are new challenges (as well as joys) as your baby gets older & you decide what sort of parenting style you want to have, how you want the household to run, and then adding extra babies (twins in our case), changes things even more as all of the above doubles or triples.

As parents, you have to work harder to make time for each other, to communicate better, to check in on each other. To apologise when times are stressful & you both get snappy, to listen, to compromise. You have to put extra effort in to create the lightness & laughter that existed in the days of less responsibility, to make the effort to show your appreciation & affection.

Now it’s not all doom & gloom 🙈 but it’s important to note the changes & challenges, & to know that we all experience them in some way or another.

It’s also so important to go those extra miles. To communicate openly. To make time for each other. To spend time together, separately, & altogether as a family.

When the kids are all grown up & leave the nest, we’ll want to remember what it’s like to just be the two of us & to remember each other ❤️

Losing Patience

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Tonight I lost my patience.

When the usual bedtime antics went on longer than I could handle, with having had a testing few weeks, having done a full day plus the dinner and bedtime routine solo, and having things on my mind that I wanted to get done (for the kids) once the kids went to sleep… I reached my limit with Mr 4, because he’d reached his limit and I couldn’t calm him down and we both ended up having meltdowns together…

Once we’d both calmed down, we said our good nights and I left the room.

I sat on the lounge and collected my thoughts, and after a quiet moment, I went back into his bedroom, climbed up onto his bunk bed, and we talked about what happened as I cuddled him to sleep.

I wasn’t proud of my behaviour, but I know it doesn’t define me as a parent, just as I know his meltdowns don’t define him as a child.

We all have emotions and sometimes they can become too much. We see it in toddlers all the time, and it’s okay for them to see it in us too (*provided no one is getting hurt).

After I left for the second time, I decided I wanted to share my imperfect moment, and that I would share the below words that I wrote a few months back (but haven’t yet shared) that help me through my tough parenting moments to help others through theirs 💛

. . .

Don’t be too hard on yourself, motherhood is a tough gig.

There are days when we all lose our patience. It is important to learn from these moments. Teach your children about feelings and what your feelings are evoking inside of you. Teach them about self care and needing space.

Take the opportunity to learn about yourself. Learn about the strengths you have and the things you need to improve. Learn about what calms you, but also what your trigger points are, and what your children’s trigger points are.

Be gentle with yourself.

Everyday is a new day filled with endless opportunities for self improvement.

These years will fly.

There is so much to learn and teach.

Have patience with yourself in the moments that you feel all patience is lost.

Take time to breathe and take stock. Whether that may be immediately after or later when the kids are tucked up in bed.

Life is full of opportunities for reflection.

Reflect often and if something isn’t working for you, then you are always free to alter your path.

Being gentle with yourself is key 💛

We are all energy.

There will be certain things or people or events that don’t gel with our energy & cause us to lose our patience, or become frustrated, angry, overwhelmed or upset.

These moments are inevitable. There is no one whose energy is unaffected by all other energy forms that exist in this world.

You are not alone.

What will help is recognising the energies that that do not connect with your own, or your trigger points, and learning how to best handle the situations.

Look inside to see what you can do to enhance the positivity in the situation.

Remember to focus on the internal and not too much on the external. All can be resolved from within 💛

By Simone

12.03.2018