There comes a point when you no longer measure your age by your birthdays, but by the birthdays of your children. Your health and happiness are inextricably tied to the health and happiness of your kids, but it’s important to put yours at least on the same level as theirs, for the benefit of everyone.
Family Health Care of Siouxland offers a bit of advice for moms in every stage of motherhood. What else would you add to this list?
Healthy Moms of Babies
Welcome to motherhood! Life, as you know it, will never be the same. You’ll find yourself more exhausted than you ever thought possible, yet surprisingly still able to meet the needs of your adorable (and demanding) audience. This is by far the most physically challenging stage of parenthood and believe us when we say it gets easier.
Because it does get easier.
The most important things you can do in the first two years of your children’s lives is get plenty of rest, drink plenty of water, and take a few moments for yourself and your partner in crime. And the only way any of these things will get accomplished is if you ask for help (or take it when it is offered to you). Lean into the village, new mama—that’s why it’s there!
Healthy Moms of Toddlers
Remember when you had a newborn, and you were wondering how you were ever going to find time to exercise? Take a cue from your toddler, who seems to never stop moving. To those short legs, the world offers one exciting adventure after another, so try to keep up!
As you continue to introduce new foods onto your toddler’s plate, do the same for yours. Keep piling on the fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; not only to be a great example but to remind your body how good it was meant to feel.
If you haven’t been to the dentist and the doctor in a while (ahem), make sure to set aside the time to do it. It’s your commitment to your overall health that will get you through every cold and virus your children bring home from daycare and preschool and wipe on your sweater.
Healthy Moms of Elementary Kids
The day your last child traipses off to kindergarten will find you experiencing the whole gamut of emotions: regret, relief, sadness, guilt, elation. Feel it out for all its worth, but don’t take too long—they get dropped off in just 8 hours, and you have stuff you finally get to do. Like grocery shopping. And taking a long uninterrupted shower. Or to an office with people who don’t watch Pixar like it’s a full-time job.
Moms of elementary aged students sometimes experience a shift in perspective that is akin to the changing of the guard. With more time to focus on personal goals and interests, women with kids in this age range fall back into the careers they once loved or onto something completely different; either way there is a source of motivated energy that makes many things possible. And the fact that the house stays cleaner for more than five minutes is an added bonus.
Remember to make your well-visit appointment alongside those of your kids each year and take recommended screenings seriously; preventative medicine will always be the best medicine. Schedule daily workouts and commit to your needs just like you do with your kids’ sports schedules, and use the time to show your kids what physical and mental health looks like at every stage of life.
Healthy Moms of Teenagers
Take yoga and invest in quality earphones.
Healthy Moms of College Kids
Sending your children off to college will probably remind you of the time you watched them climb the school bus stairs for the first time: up, up, up and away. Just like you did when they were five, you’ll wonder where the time went, and worry just as much as how the time will go. And you’ll begin this new phase of life the same way you did all those years ago, with renewal, a redefined sense of self, and a little taste for adventure. If you find yourself constantly asking “What’s next?” and “Why not?” you’re on the right track.
In this stage of the game, it’s important to build and develop relationships. Reach out to a new mom who may need help juggling the demands of a new baby, and be the village someone else was once to you. Renew your relationship with your spouse by taking a trip, even if it’s only for dinner at a nearby steakhouse. Wrap around friends who are also surrounded by homes that are loudly quiet. Learn piano and take Spanish lessons. Try Korean barbecue. You’ll soon discover, as many have before you, that while it may have felt that life started when your children did, it certainly doesn’t end just because they’re gone. In fact, those of us who have gone through it would argue it’s actually just another great beginning.
The doctors, nurses, and staff at the clinics of Family Health Care of Siouxland are dedicated to the health and happiness of Siouxland moms. We know if we take good care of you, you can be better equipped to do what we all know is the hardest, most thankless and underpaid job in the world. Thanks for doing it. You’re doing a great job.