Encouragement for the Mom of Young Kids

To the mom of young kids, I see you. 

I hear your need to just sit in silence without anyone touching you. I get it that the laundry situation is impossible. I understand that the floors need to be swept and that you can’t even think straight.

Tiny humans are hard in so many ways. 

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The ways that I remember the most clearly are:

• the disruption to my routines
• the mental fatigue
• delaying caring for myself

Nowadays, I take care of myself throughout the day without even thinking about it. I habit stack these tasks together so that I am able to complete these things without much effort.  

If I get interrupted then it takes a considerable amount of thought to restart my routine or to full in the missing tasks.  I need time and quiet to go through my process. 

This is not possible with small children.  Their needs are immediate, urgent, and loud.  The baby must be fed, the diaper must be changed, they want snacks “Right NOW!” or they are toddling toward a pair of scissors left on the coffee table. My water glass gets left on the counter empty, my hair does not get brushed, and a shower…? Not this morning. Nope.

I think what I missed even more than my routines and habits was thinking about things outside of my home.  I missed the thoughtfulness it takes to read good books, to develop hobbies, and to pursue special interests.  I love learning and creating new things.  With small kids there is no time or intellectual space to do that. 

There is also mental fatigue that sets in from constantly thinking about small things, worrying about big things, and a learning curve of new parenting skills. 

Each phase is radically different than before and every few months there is a new skill to adapt to. Also, the lack of sleep made my brain feel so foggy and sluggish.  If I got a few moments to have the time to think or read I couldn’t. My head was not with it.

My environment’s needs and littles in front of me were so much louder than my own internal desires.

  Taking care of myself got pushed constantly to “tomorrow” or “next week”.

At this time, what I needed more than anything, was to be kind to myself.  To rest in the truth that what I was doing was hard and it was enough. I still need to hear this!  (If you see me in real life, I will give you a hug and tell you this statement.  Please do the same for me, I need it too!)

I love how this phrase from Kendra Adachi from the Lazy Genius podcast and now bestseller book. It is on p. 186, talking about softness towards ourselves and in chapter 13 “Be Kind to Yourself”.

“Without affection for ourselves, without softness on the inside, without being kind to ourselves, we will always be tired. We will always carry what we were never intended to carry and dig holes that go nowhere. Our energy goes to keeping up with our moving finish line, leaving no space for contentment and acceptance of who and where we are right now.”

– Kendra Adachi from the Lazy Genius Way

Love those little ones well and they will grow into amazing kids who you will enjoy being around.  Keep investing into that invisible bank of love and growth.  It will be worth it!!

And if I see you in person, I will give you a hug and share my dark chocolate stash with you.

Smiles & Love, April

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Are you new to Homeschooling? – See this: New to Homeschooling? – Start Here

Need some ideas to refresh your mornings? – Morning Routines for Moms and Morning Routines for My Kids

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