Don't Put Yourself Last While Raising Children | Small Steps to 'Fulfill Yourself'

When your life revolves around your children, you tend to put yourself last because you're so busy with childcare and housework.
It's not uncommon for days to end with you having done nothing but handle the tasks right in front of you.

Of course, there are many moments when your children's smiles heal you. Every time you see those smiles, you feel a sense of fulfillment in your heart, don't you?

But that might just be a temporaryfeeling of being 'fulfilled,' and you might not be noticing your true needs.


The other day, I suddenly thought, 'Oh, I want to talk to an adult other than my family.' I didn't have any special topic in mind, but I wanted to engage in conversation and feel connected to society.

So, I took the plunge and went to a parenting center held in my neighborhood.
The time I spent having casual conversations with other moms and staff while my child played was a better break than I had imagined. I was even surprised myself at how refreshed I felt.

What left an even greater impression on me was a story from a staff member who had raised her newborn child in Portugal due to her husband's overseas assignment.
She said that in an environment where neither Japanese nor English was spoken, and with no friends or even other Japanese people around, she just lived with the mindset of 'what will be, will be.'

When I heard that story, I realized the gratitude I should have for my current environment.The things I had convinced myself I couldn't do because I have children might actually be

just limitations I'm placing on myself.By prioritizing my own feelings and taking action, I experienced how my perspective on things and the information I receive can change.You don't have to do anything big.


'I want to talk a little,' 'I want to go out for a bit'—
it's about


not overlooking and fulfilling those small desires

of yours.I believe that accumulating those small moments will eventually lead to big changes.