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Parents- How do you relax?

Farmwife

Farmwife

As we all know...stress is a killer.

We as parents need to remember to relax and enjoy life when we can.:wink:
I know this is hard at the early am hours and your child is crying in pain or in the middle of a hospital stay during your child's bowel surgery or putting miles on your car running to different location because your child needs labs and test done.

I want this thread to be a place of ideas, advice and encouragement for us parents to take time and relax.


Please let us know what you do to relax?:soledance:
 
Farmwife

Farmwife

I love to hand quilt. I thought about having a bag with some sewing project like baby doll clothes I could sew while at the hospital.:ybiggrin:

Of course the classic of reading while waiting for test is always a fav. Now I take a book Grace and I love.:wink:

At home I cook! Love it. :ybiggrin:
 
izzi'smom

izzi'smom

I work out.
I like to do weight training the best, but in the summer months I run. I have a 5k to benefit the Heart Association tomorrow, a 5k obstacle course next month, a 15k in July, and a triathalon in August.
I also like to take a night every 4-6 months and go out with my girlfriends. We indulge in dinner and too much wine and get a cab home.
I love photography, but never get a chance to shoot anymore.

I also sort of lost myself when I first had my kids/Izz got sick.
Now I make a bucket list each year of things I'd like to do, plus a long term one.

2013 for us includes a trip to the Bronx Zoo/Statue of Liberty, a tethered hot air balloon ride, an indoor waterpark, and a large childrens museum 2 hours away. My personal bucket list items include the triathalon, ziplining down a nearby mountain, and starting a few college classes.

I also have a long term list with items like a Disney vacation, completing a marathon, and a 100 mike bike ride.
Would love to hear everyone elses coping!
 
Hope345

Hope345

What a great thread.

We have to take care of ourselves so we can take care of them

I usually start going for long walks, find myself working out in the yard, keep a journal, come to this forum :), pray a lot, and I cherish my sleep time.


Best to all of you :heart:
 
ChampsMom

ChampsMom

Location
North East Coast - USA
Gosh what a great idea for a thread... I'm a single Mom with 3 boys - eldest with Crohn's, youngest on the Autism Spectrum (PDD-NOS) - started to worry about son number 2 having Crohn's this winter, but appears he had a tummy virus that he couldn't kick (at least praying that's all it was... all lab work looking "normal" at this point...)

Busy doesn't even start to describe life - stressful? oh yeah...

My most relaxing time is spent preparing Sunday School lessons, but I know I also need to find a balance to take care of myself physically - but when? how? (tired from typing this...laughs...)

HUMOR helps!! :D
 
Sascot

Sascot

Good thread! I love reading so tend to have my book or kindle where ever I go. Had to get the kindle because I read quickly and kept running out of books at the hospitals! :)
This year I am determined to have fun both by myself and with the family. I love the cinema and try go once a week if both kids are well, so hubby can just get them ready for bed without any stress,
We are going to Benidorm (Spain) with the family in April, I am going to a show in May, a wedding in June and we are going for a cruise in July.
I have also started going to the gym to try get my health better.
 
Farmwife

Farmwife

All great ideas!

My future plans.....

A massive garden that is growing in scale by the day. 150ish by 100ish ft.
Now my twin who lives in the city want a garden. So now our plan is to make mine bigger and her and the kids will come over once a week and help me take care of it. Will see if this happens. It depends on Grace's health.

Also I need to lose at least 60 lbs because of my stress eating. I plan on biking and doing exercises videos to make this happen.
 
izzi'smom

izzi'smom

Crohn's Mom said:
Therapy !
once a week for the last 6 months !
yeah, that...and wine ! :D
Click to expand...
Wait...there's a different kind of therapy?? :eek2:





ETA I am a firm believer in therapy...I went through three before finding one that worked well for me but she was worth her weight in gold!! Isabelle did therapy as well for a bit-just saying I'm not mocking either type lol!
 
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CarolinAlaska

CarolinAlaska

Holding It Together
I spend too much time on the computer, but it is relaxing for me. I like to read to my kids (whoever is willing - right now we've started the Harry Potter books with my 6 and 8 year olds). Believe it or not, I find housework relaxing, and I love to enjoy a clean house, but I don't do enough housework each week to ever get to enjoy a clean house, which adds to my stress! lol). I blog, but haven't been much in the mood since Jae was diagnosed :(. Her illness pretty much has taken over my life. I do Bible study and enjoy listening to worship music and singing. I enjoy canoeing, kayaking and hiking in the summer. I love the bucket list idea, Angie. Your personal choices are great too.
 
my little penguin

my little penguin

Moderator
Staff member
Hand therapy balls - very squishy and work like stress balls
Read trashy novels .
Read every possible Ibd article related to DS ( did the same thing for FA for the first year or two - don't think about those very often any more :lol)
Music
Forums
Baking bread by hand -pounding out things really helps :biggrin:
Work - enjoy being busy - no time for crohn's thoughts
Favorite tv shows - where everything is always way worse than real life so comical .
Enjoying normal each and everyday .
Swinging out on the porch
Listening to the birds and nothing else
 
izzi'smom

izzi'smom

^^
Great point...the forum kept me sane for the first year at least. It's hard to discuss these things with family that isn't familiar with IBD...and hard to gauge in the earlier days if symptoms are problematic enough to "bother" the doc with.

I also researched until my brain was fried before. I don't do it much anymore, as our treatment is working...I am almost afraid to lol!

Going back to work helped me as well.
 
plaidknitter

plaidknitter

I'm a single mom, and my kiddo doesn't have IBD but she has very complex medical issues. There isn't much time for relaxing, but I'm a big fan of humor! I also knit when my hands don't hurt too much.
 
Jmrogers4

Jmrogers4

Like MLP red trashy novels or pretty much anything I can get my hands on.
Glass of wine or something stronger (depends on the level of stress) with the neighbor (we call it driveway time) and can bitch and moan and vent about whatever.
Computer time - playing hidden object games or on here
 
CarolinAlaska

CarolinAlaska

Holding It Together
I see a few of you like trashy novels. I like to read novels for kids like Harry Potter, Hobbit, and other things. These books usually have a good story line and I can trust they won't take my emotions for a whirl like many adult themed novels. I used to read adult novels but found myself bawling with the characters too much! NOT relaxing!
 
jmckinley

jmckinley

I don't have as much spare time(it's a shame that "me" time has to come in spare time, but when I do I garden (alot)...pulling weeds and "dead-heading" are relaxing. I have been known to get out and work for hours! I also love blog, but it came to a screeching halt last summer when Ryan got sick. When I need to blog the most, I clam up! I need to start back! I do read alot of blogs. Taking photos is something I love to do too! When I am super stressed, I bake ....and unfortunately, I like to eat what I bake!

I love the list idea! I will have to start that. I'd like to put one of the CCFA Team Challenge 1/2 marathons on that list! There's a women only one in Nashville this fall. I am doing a mud run this weekend...wish me luck!
 
izzi'smom

izzi'smom

jmckinley Good luck with your mud run! Have you done one? The obstacle 5k I am doing next week is similar...I hate getting dirty but I have heard its a blast. We are going to dress up, too...I am thrilled. (Although my gf's are teasing me about being a princess...I can only imagine what they will come up with!)
how does team challenge work? There are none near me but the site says you get expenses paid for a destination run?? Hello Kona half marathon!! I am guessing you have to raise a lot...but I may be up for the challenge!!
 
jmckinley

jmckinley

izzi'smom said:
jmckinley Good luck with your mud run! Have you done one? The obstacle 5k I am doing next week is similar...I hate getting dirty but I have heard its a blast.
Click to expand...

I have never done one before, but it looks like so much fun! This is the Dirty Girl Run (5K obstacle course). We are dressing up (some). I've seen a friend of mine post pics several years, so when it came here, I just had to try! I did the Color Run back in October and it was a blast!

On the Team Challenge thing...I don't have a team near me either, but you can join the national team and get on line encouragement. It's not quite the same motivation. From what I understand, you join and then create a fundraising page that you share with your friends/family. There are several different levels of fundraising. If you reach the highest one your trip is paid for, if not, you get certain aspects (like registration fees, hotel) paid for based on funds raised. The great thing is there's no pressure to run it fast doing it this way. I'd certainly waht to give it my best shot, but running in honor of someone takes the pressure off. I think the one in Nashville would be a "dress up and have fun" race. Although I'd much rather run the wine country run! I wonder what beverages they'd have at the stops!! :ycool:

Don't know if I will do it, running seems like such a better idea in my head :eek2:
 
Tesscorm

Tesscorm

Moderator
Staff member
FW, love this thread!! It's a great reminder that 'we' are important too!!! And need to give ourselves a bit of TLC once in a while! :D

Reading a light, trashy book is great - my brain candy! :lol:

I would die without my relaxing baths! I love to have long soaks with some sort of bubble bath or scented salts and read a book (or play games on my blackberry :)); if I want to make it really special, I light candles, play spa music (I keep CDs and a cheap player in the bathroom) and have a glass of cold wine or flavoured water!

Love a good movie, especially comedies (hmmm... a tv with netflix in front of the bathtub!!! :banana:)

Not as often, I try to have a girls' weekend once or twice a year (just came back from one! :thumright:) and/or a massage at a spa (either as part of the girls' weekend or just something for an afternoon). Even if I am only going for a one hour massage, I find that the whole ambiance of having it done at a spa is more relaxing than just going to a massage clinic.

I've been attending hot yoga classes a bit more often - wouldn't quite call them 'relaxing' yet :eek: but, hopefully, I'll get to that point! :)

jmckinley - good luck on your run!!! :D
 
DustyKat

DustyKat

Super Moderator
I relax with my best friend...

We go walking together. We knit together (shut the feck up Dexky). We scrapbook together. We drive together with friends. We BBQ together and drink wine. We read the forum together. We play angry birds together. We do loads together and it is fab!...



:lol:
 
Twiggy930

Twiggy930

Location
Canada
I read trashy novels (Hunger Games, Twilight, etc) and binge watch trashy TV (7 seasons of How I Met Your Mother in about 1 month). I also run with a friend which helps immensely. I find the trashy TV and books help to turn my mind off which allows for an escape and the running actually lifts my mood.

Of course a nice big glass of wine, or if it is summertime a Pimms, also works well.
 
izzi'smom

izzi'smom

jmckinley said:
I have never done one before, but it looks like so much fun! This is the Dirty Girl Run (5K obstacle course). We are dressing up (some). I've seen a friend of mine post pics several years, so when it came here, I just had to try! I did the Color Run back in October and it was a blast!

On the Team Challenge thing...I don't have a team near me either, but you can join the national team and get on line encouragement. It's not quite the same motivation. From what I understand, you join and then create a fundraising page that you share with your friends/family. There are several different levels of fundraising. If you reach the highest one your trip is paid for, if not, you get certain aspects (like registration fees, hotel) paid for based on funds raised. The great thing is there's no pressure to run it fast doing it this way. I'd certainly waht to give it my best shot, but running in honor of someone takes the pressure off. I think the one in Nashville would be a "dress up and have fun" race. Although I'd much rather run the wine country run! I wonder what beverages they'd have at the stops!! :ycool:

Don't know if I will do it, running seems like such a better idea in my head :eek2:
Click to expand...
Talked to the regional director for the Napa run...$4700 in donations gets you a spot (which . I would attempt) but only 75 percent goes to ccfa. I'D rather fundraise for the take steps walk...they get the entire amount raised.
 
poppets mum

poppets mum

I was thinking of starting the same thread a while ago. Looks like ya beat me to it Farmwife. Someone told me we it is very important that us parents take time for ourselves so we can be better parents for our children. So true. Anyhow I started doing Yoga in summer and found it to be a great thing to help unwind. Apart from anything else I have to concentrate really hard not to fall over so at this time there is no room for the usual worries. Everybody apart from me ( said with fingers crossed) seems to be succumbing to Norovirus in this house so once we all get through it I will definitely be looking for ways to relax:poo::poo:
 
jmckinley

jmckinley

Angie, the 5K was a blast! If the Dirty Girl Run ever comes your way, definitely do it! I am looking for the next adventure...as soon as I recover from this one LOL

How was your run? What was it called? We have the Warrior Dash coming here in fall. Wondering if it is over my head!

**I added a pic to my photos, I have no idea how to put one on here!
 
D

DanceMom

Nothing better after a long day than sitting on the couch with hubby and watching mindless TV. On the weekends I love to lounge by the pool or take a trip to the beach. Life just seems so simple at the beach.
 
izzi'smom

izzi'smom

I'm so glad!I am doing the warrior run next month (just ordered shirts/socks for the 're as m yesterday)...but a group of coworkers did the dash and said it was amazing...go for it!!
 
Kinsey

Kinsey

Great thread

I do spend too much time on the computer, though it helps to past the time.

I have a stress coach that calls once a week or more, its through my insurance company, she's a trained professional couselor, she's the best.

It seems I'm calm until we get some news or Brad get real sick. The mess up last week with the fecal transplant being postponed was a low, but then I got some good news lately that took the edge of. Brad has been having some formed bowel movements for a couple of weeks, crazy, though may it be, it was music to my hears.

Doing something that needs to be done helps me to move forward, but their are times when I just don't want to face all the paperwork and such.

I do feel like when I am giving back I feel better about all the taking I'm doing, i.e, using the forum to take and feel I need to give back.
 
Kinsey

Kinsey

DustyKat said:
I relax with my best friend...

We go walking together. We knit together (shut the feck up Dexky). We scrapbook together. We drive together with friends. We BBQ together and drink wine. We read the forum together. We play angry birds together. We do loads together and it is fab!...



:lol:
Click to expand...
Sounds awesome! Sounds like you've got it going on! You're so inspiring.
 
QueenGothel

QueenGothel

Location
Michigan, USA
Good thread FW! I calm down in front of the television, I find Dexter on Showtime to be very therepudic. Something about watching a serial killer and rooting for him... lol. I read but the 12 book series I have and I am on book 3 has completely burned out. It is the left behind series and is too religious, I need to get a trashy book as well.

My goal is to get skinny the healthy way! I want to do Yoga, but cannot afford the class so I plan to buy Yoga for dummies DVD and start there getting the kids involved as well.

I bought a new house 2 years ago and have been a bit busy with the hospital stays so I have a large corner lot and horrible looking yard. That is going to be the big project once the rain stops falling. Which hopefully is very soon.
 
Tesscorm

Tesscorm

Moderator
Staff member
We had a warm weekend too but rainy all day today! :( Can't wait for spring!!! But, i've been hearing the birds in the morning! :sun: Spring is coming!

And, after a long winter, SPRING is enough to make you feel a bit better!:soledance:
 
Farmwife

Farmwife

Sorry no Spring yet here. :voodoo:
I'll be cheering when I see my first robin bird.:dance:
My hubby said he'll know it's close when he smells the skunk spray.:ybatty:
 
Jmrogers4

Jmrogers4

Supposed to be 73 on Thursday! my hyacinths and tulips are starting to peek through the ground. So excited for Spring!
 
Maree.

Maree.

Still Spring here, 80F forecast for today and I'm relieved to see that Saturday and Sunday when Liam has football tournaments are going to stay below 90F.

But yesterday was 93F and you can feel that the heat is coming, dreading May & June.

QueenGothel I subscribe to a internet service called workoutsondemand which has good yoga and pilates workouts that you can stream or download. Worth looking at as price model is pretty good, between 20 - 40 minutes in length. I struggle to find time/energy for longer workouts these days, but find I can always manage to find half an hour somewhere in my day.
 
Maree.

Maree.

Noooo! 32C is only 89F... it's cool! Well more accurately it's 89.6 (but I'm a big believer in rounding down when it comes to temperatures.)

At least that's what I keep telling myself in anticipation of Friday's football. 4 1/2 hours of football played outside in the heat of the day, is nothing to worry about, because it's going to be a nice mild day!

There is no way I'm going to be able to convince Liam not to play, so falling back on reassuring myself it's alright because the weather is so mild at the moment is the option I can think of. Will take lots of water, motileum for the nausea, pediatric rehydration fluid for the dehydration and hope for the best.
 
Catherine

Catherine

Moderator
You may not believe it but we are breaking all time records here.

We are it was 35c today, and the previous days were 36, 35, 34, 35.

The girls have an outdoor swimming comp for school tomorrow in the evening. We expecting a cool change sometime tomorrow.
 
Maree.

Maree.

I was joking I don't envy you at all Catherine, I'm absolutely dreading the summer.
We had 34 yesterday but fortunately it's still mainly sticking to 31 - 32 here (which I'm telling myself are lovely mild days).

Our Avg max for April is 33 C and it just gets hotter from there so I'm in total denial about the idea that 32 C is hot.
 
Catherine

Catherine

Moderator
Sarah sat 3 hour sac, in room without cooling this afternoon. We have cooling at work which we run all day and only managed to get the temp down to 27.5c

The average long term high for March is 24c.

I am over summer.
 
Farmwife

Farmwife

You two are funny. I can't even imangen what it's like to live apart from my sister/twin.
We live a few miles apart but I live in what my twin call "up in the mountains". We're elevated about a mile above where she lives "in the valley". So she'll call in the AM and ask if I can see the sun. I'll call her and ask if it's hotter down there. That's the most excitement we have around hear.
 
Maree.

Maree.

I'm over Summer and it's not even started yet :( Can totally relate to the temperatures being so extreme that aircondintioning struggles, not nice at all.

We had 179 days of 100F/38C or higher last year. Just the idea horrifies me.
Desperately hoping Liam is in better shape than he was back in Sept/Oct when he'll cope better with the heat that he did in the Autumn but I'm not going to know that for a month or so until it really starts warming up properly.
 
Farmwife

Farmwife

See Maree I agree with you.:hug: I'd take my snow at 5 ft then the heat. At least you can bundle up. The heat well...:voodoo:...I'm not stripping for nothing. (not a word crohnsint:tongue:)
 
Maree.

Maree.

Farmwife we can relate, we spent our childhood on a dairy farm, only our part of Australia didn't have the excitement of the hills, it was deadflat as far as you could see in every direction.
 
Maree.

Maree.

When we came here it was from a significantly hotter city, and I remember being pleased at how much cooler it was not mention utterly delighted at not having to an Abaya, (take it from me that anyone who tries to tell you a layer of black cloth in 110F + heat isn't torture is being extremely liberal with the truth.)

But coming up to our 3rd Summer here, this now feels really bad, I think I've forgotten what extreme heat is.
 
Tesscorm

Tesscorm

Moderator
Staff member
Bring on the heat!!! :sun: I'm so tired of winter!!! Unlike FW :eek: I would much rather deal with the heat then the frigid cold!! I hate all the bundling up that comes with winter - boots, coats, gloves, scarf, hat... :yfaint:
 
EthanClark

EthanClark

Thank you for this thread Farmwife! Great Idea. :)
I love to read a good book, relax with my hubby or enjoy a massage when he's willing to give me one. We are trying to keep it at once a week. They help me relax so much, I feel like melted butter when I'm done.:dance: I also love photography and really need to get out and do it more often. It transcends me into another world(which is most often more relaxing than this one)LOL. I absolutely love the idea of the bucket list as there are so many things I really want to do. I will have to start one with the hubby and kids for this year. I am so excited that Clark is feeling so much better and will be able to enjoy things he wasn't able to last year. This forum has also been a place to come and share, learn and care about others.:hug:
 
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