Is Jillian Michaels' mom advice totally unrealistic?

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

Most moms can't find time in the day to pee by themselves, so setting aside that all-important "me time" can seem like a pretty impossible task.

Celebrity trainer and mom-of-two Jillian Michaels seems to have solved that parenting problem, though. The 41-year-old recently revealed her secret to staying sane: She dedicates 12 hours every week to herself.

“With two young children, I had to figure out a way to balance my days,” Jillian, who has kids Lukensia, 5, and Phoenix, almost 3, with her partner Heidi Rhoades, tells PEOPLE. “This way I can spend five to six hours with the kids and work for the other eight hours. If I have any extra time, it goes to the kids. Things seem to work out, and it keeps me sane!”

So what does she do with all that free time? Jillian says that she runs errands, takes care of medical appointments and, of course, hits the gym.

Jillian Michaels & her daughter Lukensia

I'll be honest, my initial reaction upon reading her parenting "tip" was along the lines of, Lucky you, must be nice.

Must be nice to have someone around to watch your kids for 12 hours every week. Must be nice to go to the grocery store without having a 3-year-old hanging off your leg the entire time. Must be nice not to have to drag your toddler along to your doctor's appointment while feeling like you've been hit by a freight train. Must be nice to just have some time to yourself.

Must be nice.

I have no doubt that this plan of hers is a sanity saver, but it also kind of seems like a pipe dream. I can see striving for one hour a week, maybe two, tops - although for a lot of parents even that would be tough to accomplish. But twelve hours - almost two hours daily - seems virtually impossible.

But I think that my instinct to dismiss her parenting wisdom is rooted in nothing more than green-eyed envy. Jillian has obviously found a way to make time for herself a priority, and what's wrong with that? It's like the old parenting analogy: Put your oxygen mask on first. Take care of you.

I agree with that theory wholeheartedly, but unfortunately I don't really practice what I preach. I have a to-do list a mile long, and "me time" is penciled in at the very bottom of it.

Maybe it's not too late to change that, though. Is twelve hours a week to myself really doable? I seriously doubt it. But maybe I could aim for two hours and see how that goes. Baby steps.

Comment

How much "me time" do you get? Any tips on how to prioritize it?

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Photo: PR Photos, REX USA