Personal space is not an idea that many children concern themselves with, especially when it comes to invading the personal space of their parents. The up-close-and-personal vies for attention start as soon as their little eyes open, and they stop only when those eyes shut again.
I wake each morning to the sound of my daughter’s voice over the monitor saying, “Mommy! It’s wakeup time! Mommy, wake up!” For the first half hour or so that she’s awake, her favorite place to be is in my lap. Actually, at any point in the day her favorite place to be is in my lap. She is an extremely imaginative and independent three-year-old, yet she would happily let me carry her around on my hip all day if I were physically able. Solo bathroom visits are non-existent from wakeup to bedtime, even an accidentally closed door will be met with a trip to tantrum town.
It’s perfectly normal for parents to wish they had more space, either in their homes or in their lives. In wanting or taking space as a parent, you are not alone.
It can sometimes seem like you have lost your sense of yourself in becoming a parent. Your world is now crowded with bouncers and walkers, toys, diapers and bottles. Suddenly it feels like there isn’t any space left for you or your other passions.
It’s also understandable to feel a need for more personal space as a parent when you and your family are crammed into close living quarters, where there physically isn’t enough space for you or anyone else.
There will frequently be days when you just need to get out of the house for the sake of everyone’s sanity. It can also help to downsize your belongings and create space for yourself by only keeping what really makes your family happy.
You can create space in your life for the things that really matter by living a less is more lifestyle.
As parents, we share so much more than just our space with our children. They learn every day how to look at and approach the world based on the example being set by us, their parents.
In the moments when you are feeling the most weighed down by the demands of your children or the responsibilities of parenting, try to remember that they won’t always be this small. There will come a time in the not so distant future when they don’t depend on you as much. When little arms no longer encircle your neck and beg to be held, and when it does you may just find that you miss that weight.
The moment you become a parent you’re no longer entitled to your personal space, at least not for the first few years. Just try to remember that whether you’re learning how to share your space with your child, or how to create space for yourself as a parent, you are not alone.
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