Ending your day and starting the second shift filled with cooking, baths, laundry, and prep for the next day can be numbing.

It’s often extremely challenging to remember to be heart centered when sleep deprivation is kicking in.

You may hear yourself have jackal thoughts like; ”What the hell do you mean you’re not ready for bed, young lady.” or ”No, I don’t care if you’re not tired” and ”No, you can’t have just one more story”.

So, are you stuck either having disappointed kids or less rest for yourself?

Your auto-pilot may say to dig in deeper and push through, but how many parents do you know who do this and become angry and resentful.

The flip side isn’t much better, thinking about just bailing on your kids and letting them be upset as you head to your bedroom.

So, what can you do?

There is a new car company called Better Place. These guys have figured out that just building better cars won’t solve the energy problems we face. They realized that what is needed is a very different way of looking at things.

So, Better Place has designed a recyclable battery for their cars and created a grid of charge stations where you can switch out the battery every 100 miles.

Their new energy saving tools will create twice the efficiency with zero emissions and at the same time eliminate dependency upon gasoline.

So what does the price of oil have to do with being a working parent?

Just like Better Place, it’s time to build a better system to sustain your own needs. If your only solution is to give more to the kids when they want more time, then chances are you’ll end up depleted and sick.

It is possible to create a new system for yourself that allows time for refueling and recharging without taking away from that magic time with your kids.

Monday Mindfulness on Finding Time to Refuel:

Take micro-breaks: Hours of TV may not be healthy for your kids, but 30-minutes of a pre-viewed program may be just the time you need to take a mini-break and do some breathing exercises or take a hot shower.

Check out your own habits: Are you staying up late because your mind is racing? If so, get a journal to put next to your bed and spend some time getting your thoughts out on paper so that you can get that much needed sleep.

Take a walk with the family in the evenings: Being outside will have you getting some fresh air and often helps your kids wind down before bedtime.

Ask for help: It’s humbling to know as parents we can’t do it all alone. Asking your partner or community for help will allow you the time you need to make some self deposits before you go bankrupt.

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