How to relax when your life is full of little people

The funny thing about being a mum is that there is always more to do. More cleaning, organising, planning, cooking, dressing, sorting, driving, playing, cuddling, or laundry to be done. Sometimes we work like maniacs to set up systems and make things ‘perfect’, and sometimes we may give up and just leave things for weeks and weeks (or am I alone in the fact that I can point to my ‘Spring cleaning list’ from 2013 that still hasn’t been done?).

But in all of this, we need to remember that the most important thing is the love that we have for our family, and the care that we must give ourselves as well. I want to share with you today some ideas for small moments of relaxing that can bring us a little bit of ‘mind-space’ as well as more joy in our lives and connection with our children. These are things that I found really useful to do when my children were small, and taking the time to ‘stop’ everything else and be really present in the moment is what makes that moment something to be treasured and remembered.

Here are my top five ways to relax alongside your small children:

• Go outside

Head outside with your children to sit and look for bugs, or look at clouds, or find interesting leaves. Sometimes you can simply sit in the sun and enjoy a cup of tea while your children explore the backyard or play on a trampoline. Sit and enjoy the moment.

• Bubbles are awesome

I’ve got a few ideas here: popping bubble wrap can be therapeutic as long as the noise doesn’t drive you nuts and blowing bubbles is lots of fun with kids. The most relaxing bubbles for me are using a bubble wand to make big bubbles which kids love to chase and catch, and I can’t beat a bubble bath for a relaxing space for me after the kids are asleep.

• Sensory play

Get alongside your children and play in a tub of rice – enjoy the sensory feel of it trickling through your fingers. Kinetic sand can be another great tool for sensory relaxation, but my top one is kneading home-made playdough just after it’s made and while it’s still warm. A batch of fresh playdough brings me joy!

• Colouring in

When my boys were little, we had colouring in time just after daddy left for work, and it became part of our routine. While most days you might use the time to finish dishes or do laundry, why not make time on some days to grab your own colouring book and sit alongside your children as they do their own drawing.

• Reading time

Pick a time of the day when you can all grab some books and a special blanket and cuddle up for some reading time. Use a kitchen timer for the children to read on their own while you enjoy catching up on a magazine or a chapter from a book, and then read some stories together as well.

Taking the time to relax sometimes feels like the opposite of what we ‘should’ be doing when there is so much that needs to get done! But it will refresh you, help you to slow down and ‘just be’ with your children, and the example that you are giving your children is that life is about both work and play, and that you aren’t too busy to stop and be with them.

What other moments of relaxation do you take time for throughout the day?