Did any of you laugh out loud when you read the title of this blog!? HA! I feel ya! Mom Life is hard! Everything changes and everything is crazy and there are SO many days that you just want to hide in the bathroom and perhaps cry. Ok, case closed, . . . Good luck!
Just kidding. I love you guys! All kidding aside, being a parent is HARD. With that said, I have learned a few things along the way so far. Surprise, surprise! And therefore I do have a few tips to make it through the day.
- Coffee. Ok, I seriously was NOT a coffee drinker before I had kids. (Unless you count the occasional peppermint mocha or peppermint hot cocoa with extra peppermint from Starbucks.) I rarely had any coffee. Fast forward, two kiddos later, coffee seriously gets me through the day! And I absolutely have my favorites for sure! Get your First Free 2lb bag using my link HERE with Promo Code: FULLYFREE. (It’s amazing and I hope you enjoy too!) Especially with my little one teething like crazy, I’m up all hours of the night and the day doesn’t slow down at all. Therefore, coffee has definitely become a close and dear friend!
- Breathe. Remember I said that Parenting thing is HARD? Yeah. Understatement of the decade. Things are going to pile up. The kids are going to drive you nuts. If you have more than one, they will definitely pick the worst times to throw a tantrum or have a blow out diaper or throw up all over your freshly made bed. . . Yup, and that’s the short list. With that all said, I strongly recommend taking the time to learn to stop for a moment to just take a deep breath in and count to 5 slowly as you let that breath out. (Rinse & Repeat ?- multiple times if needed!) Breathing takes you back to the moment, allows your heart to find its way out of your throat and back into the rightful position.
- Go for a Walk. A change in scenery and a bit of fresh air can be just what the doctor ordered. Getting out for a walk helps me so much. It can definitely be tricky with a dog and two kiddos, but getting us out and about almost immediately changes our mood and energy. (Rock on!)
- Quiet Time. I cannot advocate this enough! My three year old is now understanding that Mommy’s Quiet Time is SUPER important. Ha! There are days that she isn’t taking a nap now. (Pray for me!) However, she knows that if she doesn’t take a nap, she still has to have a quiet time during baby Brother’s naptime. During this time she comes out into the playroom with me and has a couple of choices. She can read a book, draw in a notebook or watch/read something on her Kindle. This quiet time is so important to me. It is the one and only break that I often have all day. It allows me to just do a mental check on how I’m doing and also allows for me to get some solid work done.
- Make a Call. And I’m not talking about the Ghost Busters, although at times an exorcism seems in order! Sometimes we just need a little bit of a mental break, aka An Adult Conversation. When life has been especially mentally draining and ALL I have heard all day is whining and crying, I absolutely love calling my mom or my girl, Amy. Both of them understand “Mom-Life” and that need for some adult connection! Just being able to laugh it off with a fellow mom is huge!
- Apologize. Trust me, it can be a challenge to say “I’m sorry” to a three year old. However it’s important for our kids to hear us say those words. We make mistakes too! We are NOT perfect. If we expect our kiddos to behave and apologize when they’ve made a mistake, we definitely need to set that example.
- Listen. Kids are people too and their little bodies are going through so much. Just like we want to be listened to, they want to be heard and understood. We may have those moments that we hear “Mom, mommy, mommy, mommy, mama, mom” over and over AND OVER again. However, take a moment to hear what’s going on. It’s amazing to see how much they develop in such a small amount of time. Take the time to listen, get to know them and love them. In the moment it’s rough, but believe it or not, you’ll be missing these moments as they grow so fast.
- Play. With our lives filled to the brim, it’s sometimes hard to think of having play time. Play with your kids! Play time is crucial. You’re teaching them to think creatively and have fun while learning new skills. During this time it allows for you to release some of the built up anxiety as well and just be a kid again. It’s also great bonding time!
- Don’t Be Perfect. (Did you catch that above?) If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my “Perfectly Imperfect” post and brand new tee that I LOVE. (And if you haven’t, check it out HERE for sure.) I’ve definitely felt myself torn between wanting to always be the best and do the very best for my children AND wanting to set that example of loving yourself for who you are and knowing how beautiful that is. This can be so hard!! There is just so much to being a mom and of course we don’t want to in any way look like a slacker. ? I love my kids with all my heart. But I’m not that mom that has it together 100% of the time. I’m sort of a big mess.? I don’t like cooking. (Well, I guess I don’t mind simple cooking, but I am no Martha Stewart when it comes to the kitchen or the house.) With the zoo that we have, I like keeping the house clean – as clean as I can at least. I try to keep healthy snacks and meals in mind for our family, but we also have grab n’ go goodies too. There are times I don’t say the right things and times I mess up. I am also pretty klutzy (even as a retired dancer)!? And you know what?! … I may be working on myself, but all of this is pretty amazing and pretty perfect in a crazy way. It’s Perfectly Imperfect. Don’t let anyone tell you any different. And a lot of times it’s the little voice inside us that gives us the worst hate. You are amazing. You are beautiful inside and out. And you’re doing an amazing job!! ? Our kids need to know that it is ok to not be perfect and that there is beauty within that. (Rock on!)
- Wine. I have many of you possibly chuckling right about now. Cheers to you!!! And in the same breath, it’s totally ok if you’re not a fan of a glass of wine or drinking alcoholic beverages. I’ll still be your friend. With that said, I have a big “BUT”. (hee hee). All joking aside, it is truly important to find something that helps you unwind. I’m not advocating drinking every single night or every time you’re stressed. Hoo boy, if that were the case, I’d have a problem. But it is important to have a little bit of time for you, to enjoy the quiet, to just allow your mind and body to play catch-up. I for one really enjoy a glass of wine here and there. It’s calming to me. If I ever feel like I “have to have wine”, I give myself a break from drinking for a bit… So, drink up that cool, calm and collected mind of yours and cheers!
Again, no one is perfect. Parenting is HARD!!! And just when you feel you’ve got a routine down and feel pretty good about things, life will throw you a curveball. These tips are definitely incomplete, but I hope they help along the way. Comment below and let me know what you think. What are your favorite tips? Do you have other brilliant mom hacks!? I would love to hear! And please be sure to subscribe so you catch NEW tips coming soon. (Rock on!)
XO,
Classy Mama Bear