The Self-Care Party for Moms
Are you a 40+ mom with unique self-care and parenting needs? Well, Dear Mommy, This Party Is Just Getting Started! Entering motherhood in your 40s is a different kind of journey for many women. If you are a mom of multiples, an adoptive mom, or a mom with unique situations that often present themselves in our 40s and you are looking to level up your self-care game as a busy mom who is doing all the things? Join me, Elizabeth Camargo Garcia, a psychotherapist by background and busy mom of twins myself, bringing you this podcast where I spill all the secrets for moms like you who want to prioritize self-care without sacrificing precious time with your little ones. Discover practical tips, heartwarming stories, and expert advice on practicing self-care and healthy bonding with your children, even with a jam-packed schedule on your hands. Join the party and hit that play button and let's dive into the amazing world of motherhood together!
The Self-Care Party for Moms
Parenting with Presence, Not Perfection in the Pursuit of Quality Time
As a parent juggling a director position and a private practice, I've discovered that the secret to quality time isn't about grand gestures; it's about embracing the beauty of the moments we have. In sharing my journey of raising twins while balancing a demanding career, I offer insights into how we can let go of the quest for perfection and focus on creating meaningful experiences aligned with our values. Whether it's through engaging conversations, creative activities, or simply enjoying a walk in nature, we explore ways to foster learning and imagination with our children. It's about transforming everyday interactions into opportunities for intentional parenting.
This episode also marks the beginning of a thrilling two-way conversation between us. With the introduction of a direct messaging feature, I invite you to share your thoughts and questions, which I'll address in future episodes. While my background as a psychotherapist informs the discussions, remember that this is not a substitute for professional medical advice. So, let's embark on this journey together, armed with practical strategies and a commitment to making every small moment count.
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Are you in need of support navigating motherhood through all the highs and the lows? Is it impacting your ability to bond with our children? Then make sure to join our Mommy and Me Book Club today and start building wonderful and supportive connections with likeminded moms. Join today!
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Music Credits: Flybird Audio Jazz by Jamendo Music
Disclaimer: The information provided on this site is strictly for educational purposes. Do not rely on this information as professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult with your medical provider before engaging in any physical activity that may be contraindicated to your health. If you need medical advice, research and consult with a medical professional in your area.
Have you ever wondered if you have or are dedicating enough time to your child? You read an article or blog on the topic that leaves you going down a rabbit hole of thoughts that just add to the feeling of more guilt that you already carry. And, worse yet, all the playdates, mommy and me activities that you wish you could take part in only seem to take place during your busy working hours. Well, my fellow mom, you are not alone. Listen in to today's episode for guidance on what you can do to have these quality moments with your child and finally push that guilt aside. And finally push that guilt aside. Show up as my best self every single day. Here you will find self-care and wellness tips, nuggets of wisdom, support, education and peaceful parenting tools for moms over 40 because, as you know, we have unique situations. On this podcast, I bring you everything that took me from surviving to thriving on this motherhood journey. Now let's dive into this week's episode. It was not long ago that I found myself feeling so much guilt over not being able to go to certain activities with my babies in their early infancy years. At the time, I was juggling a director position and working on building my private practice Because of all of these items on my plate, I struggled with finding the time that I wished I had to do all the things with my children. I especially saw urgency in this because I knew that, having had my twins at 39 and now seeing myself in my early 40s, I was no longer going to have more children. I wanted to make sure that I gave my twins every possible experience available. However, this thought of being this so-called perfect mom and doing all the things was unrealistic. So, my fellow mom, here are three things that truly worked for me and my children to spend this oh so precious quality time together that I am sharing them with you so you, too, can feel confident in how you spend time with your children and begin to let go of that mom guilt that haunts us all.
Speaker 1:First of all, I let go of perfection. Children do not need perfect. Perfection doesn't exist, and when we teach perfection, this leads to anxiety in children, thinking they, too, have to be perfect. A study published by the National Institute of Health in 2021 showed that when parents expect perfection, children will often be influenced by this and model this behavior, which can lead to children being at higher risk to experience anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues and other mental health problems. Instead, aim for what is actually true of your situation. Acknowledge and accept that things are the way they are in this present moment and embrace it. Once you make peace with your present, figure out what kind of time you actually have on your hands and make the most of the time you do have. I love this quote by Sue Atkins in which she says there is nothing called a perfect parent, so just be a real one. How beautiful is that?
Speaker 1:Well, once I was able to make do with my time and figure out what to do to really squeeze the juice out of the time I had with my kids juice out of the time I had with my kids then we were able to enjoy such meaningful moments, and this is something that is ongoing in our lives. The next thing I did, I got to journaling and reflecting on what was important for me and my kids to experience with me as their mom. I thought about it and a lot was centered around kindness, generosity and building a life of reading and having fun, meaningful moments spent together. That would bring out the creativity in all of us. This may be different for you, depending on your value systems. We all have values around, what we think is important for our children to grow up learning, and you will teach and model behavior based on your value system. I have a great tool you can use to figure out what are your values and what you would like to teach your children. So make sure you download that and discover what is important for your children to learn for their life.
Speaker 1:Because reading was important for me. I began this process early on in my pregnancy, and when I needed them to be entertained after a long day at work, I would grab a book and start reading. I remember they were as young as three to four months when they would just look up at me reading and they were so intrigued as if they understood exactly word by word of what I was reading to them when we read. Now it is a beautiful moment between all of us and it has now become something memorable that we do as a family. Let me take a moment to tell you that I hope you stay until the end because I have an exciting announcement to make. So, friend, don't leave now and keep on listening to benefit from the entire episode that's tailored just for you.
Speaker 1:Our days this, too, was important for me to have my children explore through simple moments of imagination and fun. There was no need to join mommy and me groups that were only held during late morning hours while I was at work. Simple creativity were moments that involved us taking an evening walk and exploring the sights. I remember taking them on walks in the double stroller and chatting with them, pointing out everything that I saw. They were so attentive and they listened to my voice. When they were old enough, we would go to the park. I would pick them up and set them on the infant swings, and this made for creativity time as well. I would make up songs for them. As I gently pushed them on the swings, I would point out the colors of the sky and the trees and everything that surrounded us. They still very much enjoy nature at seven years old and all the various crafts and puzzles we work on.
Speaker 1:Family nights. They get very excited to have creative time and you will often hear my daughter singing incredible songs that she makes up as she goes along with her singing. Her lyrics are incredible. My song makes up these intriguing environments of characters and buildings that always amaze me. So, my fellow mom, as you can see, it is the simple things in life that matter. You can do these things and more with truly not having a ton of time on your hands.
Speaker 1:This month of May, I am offering coaching sessions that involve a time of audit of your self-care. This would be a great thing to give to yourself if you, my friend, are struggling with finding those moments not only to spend on your much-needed self-care, but also on quality time with your children. So, to recap, think of trying to let go of perfection. Reflect what values are important for you to model to your children, and incorporate simple but meaningful things into your life to spend these precious and oh-so-needed mommy-and-me moments with your child. Finally, I mentioned I have a surprise for you. If you are a newsletter insider, you know I offered my coaching sessions at a huge 40% discounted price last week in honor of mental health awareness. Well, my friend, in honor of Mother's Day, which was last week and should be celebrated daily, in my opinion, well, in honor of you, I am announcing another extremely great deal in a few days. So don't miss out and sign up for the newsletter to get the exclusive offer coming to you soon. I am offering this to help you be your best mom possible and to be able to help bring these precious and most desired mommy and me moments with your child and me moments with your child. So don't delay and sign up today. Okay, my mom friend, until next week. Many blessings to you and don't forget to be your most beautiful mom self.
Speaker 1:Looking for more self-care tips? Make sure you sign up for my weekly newsletter, where you'll get an inside look into my self-care life, a weekly self-care tip, a wisdom nugget and so much more. Head on over to the link in the show notes and sign up today. Also, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. Just click on the subscribe button on your favorite podcast station and you'll be safe.
Speaker 1:And guess what, my friend? You can now send me a message with any questions you may have straight from the podcast. Just check the button in the show notes. That reads send us a text message and I will be sure to respond in the next podcast episode. Okay, I cannot wait to meet you here next week. Bye-bye, as a reminder, yes, I am a psychotherapist. However, the information provided on this podcast is strictly for educational purposes. Do not rely on this information as professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your medical provider before engaging in any physical activity that may be contraindicated to your health. If you need medical advice, research and consult with a medical provider in your area.