Do you feel like you’re hopping from one thing to the next, and somehow hopping one second too late? I think we’ve all been there, and let’s be honest, it stinks! It’s so frustrating to feel like you’re a step behind again and again, but you know what? It’s going to be okay! You need to give yourself a break!
Here are some of the things that you need to give yourself a break about!
- Overslept because you were up late with your child (or puppy)? Give yourself a break.
- Your toddler took 10x longer than normal to go on the “big potty,” causing you to run fifteen minutes behind? Give yourself a break.
- Felt terrible because your baby was screaming for you as you walked out the door? Give yourself a break.
- Forgot to print something before a meeting? Give yourself a break.
- Spent more money or time than you wanted to for lunch? Give yourself a break.
- Didn’t get to pump at work? Give yourself a break.
- Decided you don’t want to pump or breastfeed, much to the dismay of opinionated people in your life, or on the internet? Give yourself a break.
- Crossed a million items off your to-do list, but didn’t play blocks with your kids all day? Give yourself a break.
- Spent the day watching movies with your kids on the couch and got nothing else done? Give yourself a break.
- Stayed late at work because you were in the zone working on a project? Give yourself a break.
- Got stuck in traffic on the Don Holt, Ravenel (or any other bridge in Charleston), causing you to get home two hours late? Give yourself a break.
- Bought your kids fast food chicken nuggets for dinner? Give yourself a break.
- Bought cookies from the grocery store for your kid’s school party or your office party, instead of “Pinteresting” something spectacular? Give yourself a break.
- Got home after your kids were in bed? Give yourself a break.
- Went to bed without showering because you were too exhausted? Give yourself a break.
I get it, sometimes one, or all, of these things above happen in a week! Mom Life, right? It feels a little like this:
But guess what, it’s OKAY to not be perfect. None of us are perfect. The moments that matter are NOT these ones that we stress so much over. We all desperately need to give ourselves a break. We’re doing the best we can. Sometimes that’s really amazing, and sometimes it’s a struggle.
While it’s obviously great advice to make every moment count, at the end of the day we need to remember that our kids *won’t* remember that we were stuck in traffic, or that we didn’t get to play with them one evening. They’re going to remember how you make them feel, and I bet you’re pretty awesome at making your kid(s) feel special and loved! Give yourself a break!
Embracing the messy
My house and hair may not be perfect, but guess what, who cares! My number one job is to make sure my daughter knows how special she is and how much I love her and being with her. I try to take my own advice to give myself a break. Sometimes I fail and stress over the little things. Other times I’m pretty awesome at saying screw the to-do list!
If my daughter wants pink and blue toenails, pink and blue nails she shall have! Let’s be real, when you agree to tackle a toddler pedicure, you’re definitely spending some time on that! To get a picture like the one below is a miracle in itself. Painting a toddler’s toenails and getting them to stay still long enough to let them dry is basically like trying to wrestle a wild tiger. But guess what, spending wayyyy too much time on her toes was worth every second. Those are the moments she’ll remember… not that mommy was on the “Don Halt” for too long.
