In the event that the cabin loses pressure, pull oxygen mask toward you to start oxygen flow. Put your oxygen mask on as quickly as possible. Help children and others with their masks only after yours is secure.
It’s a matter of survival when we fly. We need to be able to breathe on our own before we can help our children.
We listen when we’re on a plane.
Why don’t we listen in our daily lives?
It’s time to realize that when parents take care of themselves first, it’s not selfish.
It’s survival.
We started this site to help parents remember that they need to breathe and take a moment to do something special for themselves each day.
We’re not talking spa vacation. We’re talking sitting down for a meal. Drinking our coffee when it’s hot.
Going for a walk. Taking a nap. Buying a new outfit.
Guilt free.
Join us in making 2012 The Year of the Oxygen Mask. Read how other parents are making a lifestyle change to make their mental health a priority. Share with others what you plan to do to help yourself first.
Let’s all take that first deep breath together.
Oxygen Mask Project 
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Happy to have found this via my sister.. need to breathe….
What a GREAT idea! I am part of a nonprofit called Parents Helping Parents (www.php.com) and this message is one that we need to continue to to remind ourselves about regularly.
Thank you for taking on this mission.
Pure awesomeness x
So true! So many parents say to me ‘How is my child supposed to do ashtanga yoga?”
No sir/madam, it’s for you….
Great advice!
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So it’s February. Maybe you’ve been inspired to take a few small steps, which are really giant steps for our Mommy-kind. How has that gone for you? Have you found the support you expected? Or the derision you didnt?
I have two pre-schoolers on the spectrum. Aged 2.5 and 3.5. 2011 was a hell of a year. Two diagnoses, one sold home, one new expensive home closer to new stable and well paying job (consulting didn’t quite cut the stability our extra costs were going to need).
I weathered it. I’ve re
(Hit post too soon).
I decided the 2012 year of the Oxygen Mask was just what I needed. I signed up at a gym (note- I’ve only managed to go once), I tried to be a ‘cup half full’ person and was succeeding, I had a date night with my husband and I booked a trip to Vegas in May with 3 girlfriends.
The fall out though, of not being a victim, and taking care of myself, is the derision of my sister and the snide comments of ‘when you’re a high flyer [referencing aforementioned well-paying secure job to help pay for therapy and other needs] you often just don’t get to go on those kind of trips.
Awesome. So if I stayed at home and could not afford to send support with my son to preschool, then I DO deserve to go to Vegas? Or on a date night? But because I work, sometimes late into the evening which is nobody’s idea of fun, I don’t.
Just struggling to find the support for the ‘happy me’ within the my-world that felt happy with the unhealthy, unbalanced, depressed me.
How about you? How did it go?
Oh, I’m so sorry you have gotten nasty backlash from your sister. You don’t say if she’s older or younger, married, children…so I can only surmise that she is somehow envious of you.
I can say from experience that sometimes people don’t like it when we change or attempt big changes in our lives. It’s threatening to their sense of equilibrium in the relationship. Perhaps your sister feels you will no longer need her or she will not have any kind of influence in your life if you truly are taking good care of yourself, seeing the half-full instead of the half-empty she is used to from you?
There will always be nay sayers and people who want to tear you down no matter the specific circumstances. Stay strong for,your family, for yourself. In taking better care of yourself, whatever that might look like, you will not only be stronger to handle the curves that get thrown at us in this parenting journey; you will teach your children a lesson in knowing THEY are worth it, too.
For AndyMummy, I also wanted to add that, along the way, many of us have realized that our birth-family members may not ever “get it” no matter how we try to enlighten them. Some of my friends and I joke (only slightly) about how we get to choose our non-blood families…the ones who understand the ups and downs and who feel the joy of our successes and the pain or frustration when we are down. May you find THAT family along your path and let them nurture your spirit and strength and help you stand up again when you are too battle-weary to stand alone.
Thanks Niksmom! You cut to the heart of it here. It may be jealousy, but more likely at its foundation is the change in rolls, and her loss of influence (FYI she is my older sister, has older kids).
I’m sorry to have posted when I was upset, as I sound a touch ranty last night. But this isn’t like Facebook when you can hit ‘remove’, so unless O-mask could do it for me, it’ll hang out there. It was hard to hear from family that maybe I was taking a few too many deep breaths from the O-mask.
Thank you for your kind words and for giving me good things to ponder today.
AndyMummy, you didn’t sound “ranty” to me at all. Frustrated, yes. And understandably so. Aside from the specific details of your circumstances (i.e., job, trip, etc.), I think your comment will speak to any number of readers and will help them understand that they are not alone, either.
Glad my words helped. 🙂 For what it’s worth, I don’t think it’s possible to take too many breaths as long as those who depend on us aren’t left gasping for air. 😉
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I’m really glad I stumbled upon this site. I have a daughter with special needs and we live in Taiwan. We (my husband and I) are currently working for a nonprofit that we started a few years ago here for families with special needs. This is a topic that hits home for me. Thanks for the reminder, and for the truth that we should share with the families that we work with.