Bad Mom

A quick word of encouragement to the overwhelmed Mom...

To any mama out there who feels overwhelmed with the daily motherly and household tasks to face, frustrated by poor listening ears or rebellious little spirits, anxious trying to “do it all”, fearful of failing your kids as a mother, striving for perfect and barely meeting “good enough”...the lists goes on. You’re not alone. The struggle is incredibly real. Social media often only shows you the best...the sweet moments, the moments that capture the funny, the crazy, the loving and the special. It rarely captures the tears, the loneliness, the overwhelm, the frustrations, the real chaos and beauty of motherhood.

For me, today was a tough day. My patience was tested and my sanity was limited. There were lots of tears, lots of tantrums (including myself) and lots of coffee... The messes grew faster than I could clean them and the laundry piled up faster than I could manage. The toddler arguments were louder and more often than my heart had the patience to handle. Today I felt like a bad mom. As the day comes to an end, the mom guilt begins. I know I’m not the only mom to experience the regret, to over-analyze, over-think and underdeliver. Fruit leather, chicken nuggets and a side of cheddar puffs for dinner anyone? I have a wrecked house, artwork on my tile floors, laundry overflowing waiting to be folded or washed and I may or may not have pulled from the dirty laundry pile to dress myself this morning. But, I gave myself grace today. I looked passed the mess and looked at my children. I looked passed the tantrums and the arguments and gave thanks for their little voices that I had once prayed longingly to hear. The laundry can wait, the mess can wait. Give yourself grace today and everyday. No day is perfect, no mom is perfect. Perfection is in the eye of the beholder. I share this to remind myself and any other struggling mom battling this amazing yet selfless and challenging journey, that despite the emotions that drive you on the bad days, you’re raising amazing little beings that are just thankful to have you as their mama and they wouldn’t want it any other way. You’re doing an amazing job. Embrace the crazy, embrace the mess, embrace those babies and embrace yourself. You’re a superhero mama and I'm cheering you on!