What are Meredith Masony's signature techniques for balancing motherhood and self-care?

I focus on a few core practices that I come back to again and again:

• Rejecting the “mom martyr” myth: I don’t believe good moms have to lose themselves. I talk often about how you’re a mom, not a martyr, and your kids actually need you to have an identity beyond them.

• Protecting small pockets of time: Instead of waiting for a whole “self-care day,” I build in realistic moments—10 quiet minutes in the car, a walk alone, a show after bedtime—without guilt.

• Naming my needs out loud: I’m honest with my spouse and kids about what I need, and I model boundaries so my kids learn them too.

• Remembering the long game: Our job is to raise kind, self-sufficient humans who will leave one day, so I keep investing in who I am outside of motherhood.

What part of balancing motherhood and self-care feels hardest for you right now?