Eating Alone as a Mom of a Toddler.
How do you feel? Life with a toddler is not easy—yes, we all know that. Even though every moment with your toddler is beautiful, it is also hectic. In such a busy lifestyle, eating alone becomes a kind of me time for me—a small Zen moment.
While eating, sometimes I scroll through my phone. Sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I sit at the table like a grown-up, and that feels more honest. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. The freedom is the point.
Especially my morning tea—it is truly my me time. I wait until my boy falls asleep to sip it peacefully. I don’t think of this as selfishness. This is how I recharge myself, so I can be the mom my boy needs me to be.
Of course, eating alone isn’t always peaceful. There’s a mental checklist humming in the background: laundry, emails, dinner plans, the pediatrician appointment I still need to schedule. Motherhood trains your brain to multitask, even when your hands are finally empty.
But even then, there’s a difference between doing all that while feeding someone else and doing it with a fork in your own hand. I savor the silence.
Still, I have to be honest—sometimes eating alone makes me feel guilty. My mind says I should be meal-prepping something healthier, or catching up on chores, or sitting down with my child instead of enjoying solitude. But here’s the truth: I need to recharge myself to be a better version of me. Without filling my own cup, I cannot fill my boy’s cup. So I make up my mind and let go of the guilt.
Here are some things I do during that time:
Upgrade my skills (micro-learning):
Sometimes I learn something new or take care of my social media while eating.
Upgrade my environment:
I eat my favorite foods by the window. Sometimes I just look around and relax. Silence is not time-wasting—it is a form of restoration.
Mental and emotional upgrades:
I admire myself and think about my small wins of the day—how I handled challenges, how I showed courage. Even something like going to the hospital with my boy in an unfamiliar place, with no one to help, is a big achievement. Life in foreign land is challenging. I am facing it so good. These thoughts give me energy and strength.
You don’t need to hustle during every free moment. Upgrading yourself doesn’t mean you are doing nothing—it means you are choosing what nourishes you while you eat.
Some days, the upgrade is learning.
Some days, it’s rest.
Both count.
Eating Alone as a Mom of a Toddler, what do you do while eating alone?
