Overcoming ‘Mum Guilt’: How to find time for yourself as a busy mum

You may be familiar with the feeling of mum guilt.

It’s a feeling often caused by the constant pressure to make sure everything is perfect, all the time. As busy mums, we feel we should be at our best 24/7, so we can constantly serve our households, partners, and children to the best of our abilities.

That sounds well and good in theory, but it’s missing one crucial element: mums are human, too. We require rest and relaxation in order to recharge — and doing so requires finding (or making) the time, which can be a full-scale challenge in itself.
 

Why we don’t believe in feeling guilty

In order to take care of others, we first have to take care of ourselves. It’s like the saying goes: you can’t pour from an empty cup.

Taking time for yourself, as a busy mum, does not make you selfish and should not lead to increased ‘mum guilt’, because taking me-time is one of the best things you can do for your family.

A mum who has relaxed, recharged, and rested is now prepared to take on the day with ease, patience and kindness. She has shown up for herself first, so now she can care for her loved ones most effectively — and that’s an act of kindness for everyone.
 

Replacing mum guilt with me-time

As most busy mums know, opportunities to take time for yourself are hard to come by. If we want to rest and recharge most effectively, we have to create these moments where we put ourselves first, rather than waiting for the right time to appear.

Next time you feel a sense of ‘mum guilt’, turn it on its head: take these moments of dissatisfaction as a signal to carve out time to yourself. We know it’s easier said than done, so below are our best tips for doing so!
 

How to make time for yourself as a mum

The best way to make time for yourself as a mum comes down to one simple thing: keeping little minds busy with entertainment for kids. This means finding worthwhile distractions that are engaging, entertaining and educational — and while this may sound challenging to achieve, we promise this combination does exist!

The key is to find thoughtfully-designed kid’s products that emphasise mindfulness, convenience and repeat-play value. Our best recommendations are as follows.
 

Recommendations for keeping little minds busy

Re-FUN-able™Kids Colouring Sets are a versatile option for kids who love to create, inspiring young imaginations with bright colouring sets. Intricate, gender-neutral designs, including Australia, Underwater and Outback, will captivate kids at the dinner table, on the go, and beyond — so you can enjoy your guilt-free me-time

Suitable for children ages 4 to 12, it’s easy to choose a reusable colouring set that sparks their interest:

• For kids who want to learn more about our planet: Our World, Crawlies
• For kids who love their beautiful country: Australia, Outback
• For kids who wish to deep dive with the sea creatures: Seaside, Underwater
• For kids whose imaginations run out of this world: Outer Space, Spellbound

With the minds of your little ones now occupied, your focus lies on you: what do you need to feel rested, relaxed and recharged today? An indulgent meal, a hot bath, a Netflix binge, a good book, and all kinds of self care? Dig into it with pleasure (and without guilt), because this is your time now, mum!