We all have bad habits. Hey, it happens. One of my bad habits is being negative, so before I start by saying what I do wrong, I want to say that I also have a lot of great habits. For instance, I’m super organized regarding our morning and evening family routine, I am always up for a family adventure somewhere new, and I embrace my daughter’s uniqueness with all my heart.
But there is always room for improvement, so here are the five bad habits I need to break NOW!
1. Negative self-talk.
At a million months pregnant, I am guilty of beeping when I back up (like a truck does) and saying things like, “Beached whale!” While I do these things in jest, it’s a horrible example for my daughter. I love my body. It gave me my daughter; it’s growing another daughter; it’s curvy and sexy, and I need to stop bashing it. My husband gets on me about this one the most. I want my daughter to grow up loving her body, and unless I set the example, how will she learn this?
2. Asking rather than telling.
“Can you please go put your shoes on?” This usually leads to my daughter ignoring me. Rather than asking her, I need to tell her, “Go put your shoes on.” It’s way more effective, and I’m the mommy, so what I say goes! Or something like that. I’ll work on it.
3. Skipping “me” time.
There are many times I opt out of me-time because I feel guilty. I need to get over this. After “me” time, I feel way more on-point than ever. Whether it’s a trip to the nail salon or the gym, making time for myself should never be optional.
4. Playing out the worst-case scenario in my head.
“What if…” I say this way too often. I’m a planner by nature, and with that comes planning for the worst, just in case. While sometimes this is necessary—like making sure we have what we need in case we lose power in a snowstorm—other times, it’s a waste. For example, playing out the worst-case birth scenario for my second baby will do no one any good. It stresses my husband and me out and is all around BLAH.
5. Not asking for help.
I’m not someone who likes to ask for favors. I recently wanted to help my husband by mowing the lawn at seven months pregnant. Not my best idea. He had been traveling, and our lawn was out of control. Luckily, I didn’t seriously hurt myself, but there are times when it’s best to call on someone else to do it, which I did. One of the best things we ever did was hire a housekeeper to come every other week to help clean the house. I could clean myself, but this helps make life much easier. It’s worth it.
