If you’ve been following Intentional Moms for any length of time, you know we warn against the epidemic of “Present Absence” – the trend where parents may be physically present with their children, but they’ve emotionally checked out. You can witness this unhealthy tendency everyday across America at Little League games, school performances, playgrounds and yes, even church. Moms are spending more time looking at their phone and computer monitor than they are gazing at their own children.

Have you ever noticed the blank space around the written area on a sheet of paper? In case you forgot from your school days, it’s called the margin. It’s meant to serve as a buffer to provide room beyond what is needed.
As important as a margin is on paper, it’s even more important in your daily life.

One of the biggest road blocks that stands in the way of moms taking care of themselves is guilt.

Moms are taught to put everyone (and everything else) before themselves, so the idea of self-care all of a sudden becomes a very selfish thought. But we all know that after checking everything off the to-do list, little time remains to take care of any personal issues, let alone personal growth activities.

Why is it that moms can make room in their schedule for everyone but themselves?

When was the last time you stopped to take an inventory of things that really mattered in your life? Or took time to take a class to develop your interests? Or took a walk around your neighborhood without the intent of breaking a sweat?