What makes your life enjoyable?

[Bluerabbits]

Struggling a little bit with enjoying life and being a mother, so I am wondering, what makes your life enjoyable? And if you don’t have a village, how do you making parenting easier?

thank you

I don’t have a village either so outsource the crappy stuff - get a cleaner, groceries delivered, wrap around care and holiday clubs for the kids.
do things for you be it gym, walk, paint, bake. You’re allowed to do stuff for yourself, even when you’re a Mum
plan fun things. Holidays, weekends away, dinner dates with your girlfriends, bbq with your neighbours.

How old are your children? and is there anything in particular you struggle with?

I like the comraderie of outdoor play dates with other families.

telly on for a couple of hours on weekend mornings while I drink coffee and look at my phone.

and messaging friends when I have the chance to feel normal and like my old self again.

low standards a lot of the time!

I was a single mum for years with no village and I used to plan what I call our adventures . These included holidays , picnics in the lounge , sleepover in lounge with movies night and a day you can eat what you want for tea inc sweets lol . Also I went to bed when they did and watched tv or chatted with friends in comfort . I also treated myself to a nail varnish regularly . Small things that made us happy

What do you mean by village?

@IjustbelieveinMeIt’s from the phrase ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ meaning people who have lots of help and support like family & friends nearby to help with the children

I try and enjoy the small things every day. Sitting outside listening to the birds early in the morning. A perfect cup of coffee. Pretty views when I'm in the car. Boring stuff but I try and take 5 mins to notice things that make me smile.

Bigger stuff is enjoying my job, my husband is a decent bloke and my child is reasonably well behaved and ever so cute when he wants to be. My cat is always up for a cuddle too.

Also don't have a village so me and dh make the most of random days off together and family evenings as there is just the 3 of us and the cat.

I’m afraid it was the village that made it for me. I was lucky to have quite a few women having babies nearby and a brilliant proactive NCT which focused much more on mothers’ social lives post birth than the process of getting them out. We had a babysitting circle as well.

Some of those relationships deepened a lot by volunteering (primary school, place of worship etc etc) is any of that an option? I also joined a book club when ds was 6 weeks old?