To The Mom Who Is Always Behind,
I feel you. One step forward and 3 steps back is usually how it goes. It’s a constant uphill struggle to get one more thing done in the day; going to bed wondering why there isn’t just one more hour in the day. It’s the constant struggle of feeling like you can’t keep your head above the water. It’s the constant struggle of being a good and present mom, but getting done the things you need to do. It’s the need to balance in your life, but feeling like you’re doing a terrible job of it.
You fall asleep putting your second-born to bed, only to leave your first-born waiting for you to go lay her down. You push start on the dryer one last time in hopes that your husband won’t notice that you didn’t get his favorite underwear washed today. You throw bleach in the sink a few minutes before your tired husband comes home from work because you meant to clean all day but didn’t get around to it…so you make sure it at least looks and smells clean.
The laundry is endless.
The toys don’t really ever get put away in the right places. Sometimes the toys get sucked up in the vacuum cleaner because, let’s be honest, you just want them to disappear. I don’t know what happened to the 18,347 Shopkins you had, dear?
Your life is a mess. Your life feels in upheaval on most days. Your life isn’t your own life anymore; it belongs to whatever your children want to do and what they need every hour of the day. Then you get them to bed and either the house or your husband needs you. You are always needed.
You are behind. You are drowning at work. You are exhausted before it’s even noon. Your coffee gets reheated more times than you can count.
I feel you, mama. I feel you. I feel overwhelmed and behind too. I feel like I can’t keep up, and life can’t always be perfect. In reality, do we really want to keep up? Do we really want to have the perfectly cleaned house and manicured nails? I am a mom, and I am always going to be behind on something. I am always going to feel like there is one last load of laundry I can complete or one last email I can reply to. I am always going to feel like I need to read one more book to my daughters or say one more thing to my husband before turning out the lights.
We feel like we need to keep up. We feel behind, but we aren’t. We feel like other moms are perfect, and it makes us feel inadequate.
I’m here to tell you no one is perfect. No one has a perfectly compartmentalized life. We make a difference in all of the amazing things we do in one day. We got one load of laundry done but not put away? Win. We made dinner but didn’t get the mess cleaned up? At least we have full bellies. Our hearts are full, and they aren’t behind on loving our babies.
So today, we win. We aren’t behind. We aren’t lagging on loving. Spend that extra time rocking your baby, kissing her head, feeding the dog and watering the flowers without feeling guilty and stressed. For just today, be in the present; don’t worry about being behind. Don’t worry, mama, those dirty dishes will still be there in the morning, and that laundry is totally okay fluffing itself for the 18th time this week.
You got this. You’re awesome. And you may be behind on your to-do list, but you aren’t behind in your kids eyes. You are everything.
Pat yourself on the back. Give yourself a hug. Run yourself a hot bubble bath. You deserve it more than all of the frozen chocolate and wine in the world.
Sincerely,
The Mom Who is Always Behind
My Outfit Details:
white top c/o ChicWish // moto leggings (size small for reference/run tts) // bag (affordable option) // sunglasses // shoes
watch c/o Daniel Wellington: use code NICHOLS for 15% off
Laikyn’s Dress – Old Navy
Lennyn’s Dress – Old Navy // Lennyn’s shoes – Freshly Picked
photography by BonBon’s Photography
