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By Seth
Mullins
Stepping
into the role of mother or father of an infant can be one of the
most exhausting jobs we'll ever have. Our newborns'
irregular rhythms will throw our own into disarray. Contemporary
wisdom tells us that their needs should be met whenever they arise
– be it dawn, late afternoon, or three in the morning.
Many of our responsibilities at this early stage
of the game are invisible. Even when we may not seem to be "doing
much", we are actually nurturing the growth of our young ones
with our life energies. It's no wonder that we end up feeling
so depleted. Unfortunately, this very lack of energy can inhibit
our ability to be effective as parents. We do our job best when
we are feeling healthy and happy ourselves. In order to achieve
this, we have to take steps to replenish that energy that goes into
rearing our children.
Of course, the biggest source of rejuvenation is
what is most often infringed upon by our new routine: sleep. Some
adjustments will be necessary to compensate for this. The easiest
way to make up for sleep deprivation is to coordinate naps of our
own alongside our young ones'. Infants and young children
can usually be relied upon to nap a couple of hours in the mid-
or late-afternoon when their energies typically wane. We'd
do well to take advantage of this time in order to catch up ourselves.
Nutrition is especially important at this time,
particularly for breast-feeding mothers. It is a good idea to take
some vitamin and mineral supplements in order to replace the nutrients
that go towards nourishing the baby. Moderate exercise such as walking
– especially out in natural environments – can help
revitalize our bodies when we've been forced to spend so much
of our time indoors.
If
we have the support of spouses, partners, or family members, we
might be able to carve out small periods of time to spend alone.
An hour or so of solitude each day can have an incredibly refreshing
effect upon our bodies and emotions. We can then return to the tasks
involved with mothering or fathering with renewed energy and enthusiasm.
 Caring for children during the first year of their
lives can be exhausting due to the many ways in which our accustomed
daily routines become disrupted. Short of forcing our little ones
to adapt to our schedules, our only recourse is to readjust our
living habits so that we can take advantage of the small moments
of peace and quiet that come, and use that time to rejuvenate our
bodies, minds and spirits. Then we’ll have more energy to
devote to one of the most difficult but rewarding jobs we’ll
ever have: parenting.
Article written by Seth Mullins.
All opinions expressed are that of the writer.
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