Hello and happy Monday! I had a bit of a rough weekend and wanted to just say a few things about tough parenting days and especially tough holidays because Mother’s Day really hit me hard this year.
Both of my kids and Anel were getting over a stomach bug. It was day three of them all being sick and cranky, it was raining all day, and I had spent a good chunk of my week cleaning up puke and every other bodily fluid possible.
Somehow the bug didn’t hit me thank goodness because I honestly don’t know what we would have done. By Sunday I was exhausted, going on almost no sleep, and feeling generally over it. But we made it through the day and today feels like a real treat after that! Everyone is healthy, we all slept through the night, and it’s a brand new (sunny) day.
1. Social media isn’t your friend. This is your very obvious reminder that everything is not always as it seems online. Even though other people are posting beautiful images of themselves or their happy smiling children, they are probably only sharing the best moments from the day. If you’re having a bad day, especially on a holiday where you’re “supposed to” be having fun, take a social media break. It can, for me, often make things worse.
And there’s no need to try and post something happy and perfect if you’re not having a happy and perfect day. The pressure of creating that vignette isn’t worth it.
2. Take micro-breaks to reset. It’s hard to get a second alone sometimes as a mom, especially when your kids are sick. But even just stepping outside and taking 5 deep breaths or listening to your favorite song can be the reset you need to get through the next few hours. You can’t fill from an empty cup but there are lots of days when it’s hard to fill that cup up so fill it drop by drop with tiny moments just for yourself.
3. Remember that tomorrow is a fresh start. Make a list of things you want to do the next day or whenever the tough time/sickness/whatever passes. Last night I made a list of three things I plan to do this week just for myself including a run on a warm afternoon, a pedicure, and a dinner out with girlfriends.
4. Take the day hour by hour. Or minute by minute. Whatever it takes!
5. Give yourself grace. If you need to use extra screen time or feed your kids not-so-healthy foods or lose your cool more than once, that is ok. We moms are humans, after all, and we can’t be perfect 100% of the time. Don’t beat yourself up for the mistakes and the shortcuts you have to take to get through a hard day.
