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12 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • May 2015 by lARA KRUPICKA Five Tips for Reclaiming Your Identity Mommy Has Another Name W hile in college, Michele Kus walked out of a jazz band audition, vowing never to play music publicly again. burnout had pushed her over the edge. Twenty years later, after seven years as a full-time mom and the birth of her third child, she was exhausted from parenting and in need of a territory to call her own. Unexpectedly, she found herself being drawn into playing keyboard at her church. This time music became a lifeline. "The music is fully mine. It is me being fully me. It is not something I do for my children or for my husband; in fact, they must make sacrifices for me to do it," Kus explains. At the beginning when we are establishing a fam- ily, we adopt our new roles wholeheartedly, even call- ing each other "Mommy" and "Daddy." but as the kids grow and we never hear our given name, it can be discouraging. limiting our identity to one role has the potential to build resentment. And it can diminish our ability to be our best as a parent. Want to be a bet- ter, more fulfilled mom? Try one or more of these five ideas for reclaiming your self as a whole person: Establish a "no kids zone" in your house. They may follow you every- where (including the bathroom), but that does not mean you don't deserve a space of your own. Even a chair or nook des- ignated off-limits to everyone but you can provide a respite when the troops are restless. Tip 1