We must all remember as parents, that even the gift of 20 minutes alone can be everything during a tough day...

I'm having the migraine of migraines today. It's been going on for nearly 2 weeks, but I'm a mom, and I compartmentalize. Today it went into high gear. Bad. Yet I still needed to dropoff and pickup one kindergartner to elementary school and a Preschooler to another, and deal with a sick 4yo who still has a freaking fever, but is bouncing off the walls. I still had to stop by a few stores with my 3yo to request donations for the PTA, and go to home Depot to get pipes for a craft project I'm heading up for a mom's group. All the while, the migraine dug deeper and deeper.All the kids are home and hubby is fixing a car that's been unused for over 2 years bc it makes financial sense to fix it rather than buy a new car right now. He's covered in grease and irritable. If it's not one leak, it's another when you're diagnosing car issues.The kids, 3yo who's still sick but fever is gone, 4yo who has a fever, and 5yo is wrecked and over tired from a full week of kinder, are all going crazy. Locking each other in rooms. Whining. Pouring water onto bed sheets. Whining. Trying to bring their bikes inside. Constantly begging for snacks when they already had one. ... My head is splitting. Hubby keeps telling me he has to do one more thing...Finally. Finally. I lose it. Two weeks of an almost constant migraine. All my responsibilities and promises. Taking care of sick kids and managing their moods because they're little, so they're still learning to express emotions in a healthy way. Dealing with husband's irritability regarding the car. Looking at my to do list and trying very hard to just accomplished a few more things. As my two youngest have just run upstairs, I go to check on them and they're pouring multiple bottles of water on the bed. (Why?!)I yell. I tell them to get downstairs, and this is bad behavior and I'm very disappointed. I don't say it. I yell it. I'm out of control now. I feel defeated and guilty and ashamed. My head is pounding.Hubby comes in and tells me I can take a shower and have a few minutes to myself. It's 4:30pm exactly, and obviously, my first shower of the day. I cry for 5 minutes and then climb in the shower. I think about nothing but the warm water and how nice it feels to be alone. I take my time and just sit in the shower with the water on me. I calmed down, and feel so much better. I reluctantly soaped up so I could get out and return to my life. I must've been in there for 35-40 minutes. Nope. 20 minutes. Including the cathartic cry. It was only 20 minutes, and it was everything!I don't know if I really have a point besides venting that parenthood and adulting are hard.. But be kind to your partner or yourself, and take 20 minutes. Find a way, and take 20 minutes. via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2M9jU9O