I have always wanted to be a mom and God has blessed me with 4 children on earth and 2 in heaven. I have also wanted to homeschool and have since my oldest was born. I have a huge vision of what kind of mom I want to be and how close I want our family to be by the way we raise them.
Yet here I sit tonight writing this at the end of what feels like the longest day EVER! Do you know I almost left today? (Oh don’t worry I would have just moved my car to where I could see the house and sat in solitude for a few minutes while I gathered myself.)
Between my toddler screaming at me, my two middle children continuously fighting physically, and me trying to get through the first day of school with my oldest, it just got to be too much. I feel like my toddler needed every inch of me and every second of my attention today and I just wasn’t able to meet that need, even though I wanted to.
Being a mom is hard work and when you add all the other elements of keeping a house, feeding and caring for everyone, and homeschool to the mix it can be overwhelming.
I just want you to know that I see you and I understand you! You are not alone and you will get through the rough patches. You ARE enough and you are AMAZING!
No, every day will not be perfect, honey we aren’t created to be perfect. You are doing the best that you can in each moment and as long as you continue to rise up and try your best every day to raise your kids the way you feel lead, then you are rocking it.
I’m here cheering you on as I work to cheer myself on by giving myself the grace to not be perfect and to not judge myself as a horrible mother.
After all, at some point I CHOSE to sit, snuggle, and nurse my toddler until I had to pee so bad I thought I was never going to make it to the bathroom. The middle two played nice the rest of the afternoon and evening, and even though it took until 7 pm we got through our first lessons for 2021/2022 school year!
Three ways you can relieve the pressure of overwhelm, so that you can move forward with less struggle and stress:
1) Give yourself a timeout - shut yourself up in your room, bathroom, or a closet. Be honest with the kids and let them know that mommy needs a timeout for a bit. Give yourself the time to recenter, calm down, and catch your breath. It helps if you have some really good calming essential oils to apply or smell as needed too.
2) Go stand in front of a mirror with your kids and make funny faces - this one is advice I got from an amazing woman in my life who has worked wonders with kids for over 40 years. It is so hard to stay stressed and upset when you start laughing at the funny faces you are all making at each other!
3) Plan your days - This is something I have found is so necessary and yet so hard to do as a SAHM and homeschooler. I am working on it one day at a time, and that is all I can do. Our children need structure in their lives and when they know what is coming next it is so much easier for them to transition throughout the day.
Which one of these are you going to use the next time your overwhelm becomes too much?
Oh, by the way, if this has spoken to you and you want more encouraging, uplifting, and supportive information, I have created a community I think you might like! You will find more great tips, empowering birth stories, and the support of a community that will come alongside you through your journey! Click here to join now.
