Yesterday, I went on an epic rant to a friend. What started as a normal conversation quickly spiralled into: “I just wish I could check myself into a hotel room for 24 hours, away from my husband and baby.” quickly followed by “Omigosh, I am such a horrible person for wanting to run away from my beloved family. What’s wrong with me?”

Does this make you uncomfortable? Can you relate to the push-pull between wanting to just get away and feeling horribly guilty about your feelings?

Here at RWW, I never want you to think that I have it all together. That I always parent perfectly. That I never get triggered. That I am always able to be gentle and respectful.

Because the truth is, I’m human and I am a work in progress and will never be perfect because that’s just not humanly possible. The same applies to you too. We ALL have days, weeks, months where we are not able to be at our best, when we’re burnt out and touched out, where we’ve hit our limit.

And here’s how I know that I am learning to be kinder and more in tune with myself as I navigate this whole parenting thing. Today, I took a break.

In the past, I would have shoved down my feelings, let the resentment continue on a low-burning simmer and kept pushing on to do more. More housework, more activities with my child, more work on the business, more, more, more. Still, I would have felt that it was not enough.

But today, I simply rested. I made no apologies and asked no permission. We didn’t have anywhere to be or anything to do, and even if we did – I would have felt fine cancelling. I spent the better part of the day lounging on a couch with my daughter. She also seemed to relish the opportunity to just rest. We cooked simple meals together, I finished a trashy novel and I left a load of laundry for tomorrow.

And I am a better mother and wife for that break.

So here’s my challenge to you. If you’re feeling run down and your mind and body are telling you that they’ve hit their limit – Take A Break. Find a way to refuel and recharge. Don’t apologise for it. Let that guilt go. Know that you’re going to show up as a better person and parent because you honoured your needs.

If you found this blogpost helpful and took a break, let us know in comments! Let’s normalise meeting our own needs so we can show up as better parents and partners.