The Single Parent’s Holiday Indulgence
I love the idea of giving kids three gifts: one for the mind, one for the body and one for the soul. But as I talked about in my blog last week, I tend to want to overdo the presents for the kids so this idea, although great in concept, is probably not going to be implemented for my family.
What about giving yourself three gifts? That feels like overindulgence? Why does it feel like not enough for the kids but too much for ourselves? If anyone deserves a little treat, it’s the single parent! One thing I’ve learned is that you shouldn’t wait around to see if anyone else is going to create happiness for you. Create it for yourself.
Gifts for the Mind
So, let’s get started with the mind gift. What does a single parent need for the brain? Of course, you could buy some parenting books but that’s kind of boring and if you’re reading my blog, what else do you need? (Kidding, only kidding!)
A book does fit the bill, but so does attending a lecture or joining a book club. Booksmart Tulsa offers an incredible number of author appearances and book events throughout the year and almost all of them are free. Tulsa City-County libraries also offer a plethora of literary offerings, free of charge.
If you are really motivated, enroll in a course at TCC or OSU-Tulsa. I went crazy and started my Master’s degree when I was a single mother of a two and three year old. The gift of learning is an incredible gift to give yourself and a great example to set for your children!
Gifts for the Body
For the gift for the body, join a gym and commit to improving your physical fitness level before next Christmas. The Tandy YMCA has recently been remodeled and is fabulous. They have memberships that operate on a sliding scale per income.
If a run is your goal, Fleet Feet and Runner’s World offer programs to help get you to the finish line. If you aren’t quite ready to commit to a full-fledged workout program, you could invest in a jump rope or five pound weights to use while watching television.
Gifts for the Soul
The third one is the fun one, the soul. You can interpret this on a deeper level and pursue religion or meditation or like me, you can translate it to mean an indulgence. Who deserves a bit of a splurge more than a single parent attempting to do everything?
Depending on your budget and time, this could be anything from a great-smelling new bath soap (I just bought an orange-scented one from Asquith and Somerset that I can’t get enough of!) to a weekend at a spa. Indulgences are very specific to the person but pamper yourself with a present that nurtures your soul.
While you’re trudging through the mall and driving all around town searching for perfect presents for everyone on your list, don’t forget you! You deserve a present, in fact, you deserve three presents! Merry Christmas to all the single parents!
