A lot of mothers these days seem to think that they need to be with their children 24/7. I think this is a mistake, only one reason for which being that such a mother’s children start thinking that they own every moment of her time. That’s not good for kids or their mothers. If you’re a fairly new mother, it may not feel like it yet, but trust me – after a few more years of jumping every time your children say “Jump,” you’re going to start longing for a life of your own.

A book I was read suggested that mothers lock their children out of the bathroom when they’re in there in order to maintain the restroom as “Mommy space.” This seems to me a pretty pathetic way to get personal space. Who wants to spend their “alone time” in the bathroom, for heaven’s sake? It’s not exactly set up for rest and relaxation (unless you’re taking a hot bath, but you can’t do that every time you need some personal space).

No, children need to know that there are times when they need to entertain themselves and let their mother be for a short while. (If this seems mean to you, I suggest you look into studies of how children who cannot tolerate delayed gratification turn out when they grow up. Trust me, it’s in their best interests to learn patience.) To make this a little easier for both mother and child, however, it’s helpful to integrate “Mommy time” into the daily schedule. If a child knows that every day for an hour or two at a certain time, he or she is to leave Mommy alone, it’ll be easier for him or her to bear – particularly because he or she knows that once that time is over, he or she will have Mommy’s full attention again. And Mommy will undoubtedly find that having a dedicated block of “Mommy time” helps her keep her sanity and be a more loving mother.