Having a hard day as a mom? Here’s a little lift and inspiration for your parenting.
It’s the fifth time your son has whined this morning.
The screeching sounds causes every single muscle in your neck to tighten. Your head feels dizzy. Seriously, whining kids could’ve been a form of medieval torture.
You take a deep breath and let it out.
You will not yell.
You will not yell.
You will not yell.
I stood there at the kitchen sink ready to scream.
My five-year-old son refused anything I suggested.
“Argh!!!!,” he cried as he flung himself down on the couch.
And me, oh I would do anything to get the screaming to stop.
Ever feel like you need to honor every request from your kids? They’re only young once that little voice says, of course, you should WANT to spend every minute with them. But, saying YES only makes you feel burnt out and resentful.
Here’s the fix.
Picture this.
You come home to dishes piled on the counter, your child’s clothes hamper overflowing with dirty clothes and the dog staring at you. telepathically trying to tell you she’s hungry.
No one else in your family seems to see it.
Your kids happily walk in after school, throw their stuff on the floor and think that the magical cleaning fairy somehow cleans it up.
Why can’t anyone in your family take the initiative to clean up but you?
I get that. I’ve felt that.
It’s not like you haven’t tried either. You’ve tried the pretty chore charts. You even offered to pay them!
But, nothing’s worked.
You may have been making the same mistake I was…
You’re sitting on your couch, playing on your smartphone and you just want to be left alone.
There might be a small amount of guilt lurking under the surface. But not much.
Your kids ask, “Can you play this game with me?”
Nope, not right now, you reply.
You’re burned out. Every bit of energy and motivation has left your body. It disintegrated with that last tantrum or vaporized after your tween daughter gave her characteristic shrug when you asked how her day was.
You’re done and frankly, don’t really see a point in this whole parenting thing anymore.
I see you. I’ve been there.
Often, I feel guilty about taking a girl’s night because of time away from my kids.
I’m afraid I’ll miss something important or even worse, my husband will resent me for taking this time for myself.
They’re baseless fears.
Taking time alone is essential to being a happy mom.
He lay there screaming on our kitchen floor with his arm twisted under him.
“Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh….”
I panicked and picked my son up from the floor.
I slam my foot against the kitchen cabinet.
“Just stop it!” I yell, “Stop the fighting!”
My kids go quiet and stand frozen in the kitchen.
“I’m sorry Mama,” my five-year-old son tells me and immediately… I feel bad.
They’re just kids, they don’t deserve an angry mom.
And yet, I’m literally going out of my mind. I’m so exhausted and feel like I don’t even have the space to sort through my own thoughts.
Is this what motherhood is supposed to be like?
Nope. But, I’m making one critical mistake.
We doubt ourselves as parents. Yes, you may be feeling quite guilty for forcing your child to do something she didn’t want to do. But here’s why its actually good for her and encourages the growth mindset.
You can’t decide. You’ve heard about all the benefits of summer camp for kids, but really, will it be that way for your child? Here’s why you NEED to send your daughter or son to overnight camp.
Do you have a slow eater in your house? Are you pounding your head against the table because she is taking forever to eat? Here’s what to do.
Potty training isn’t working and you blame yourself. It’s not you! Here’s what to do.
I turned the key in the lock, pressed down on the brass handle and pulled open my front door. My one-year-old son, Dude, had just…
Many moms are convinced they don’t spend enough time with their kids.
I get that because I often feel the exact same way.
Wondering how you’re supposed to get stuff done when you have kids? What about when you don’t feel like doing anything? These four practical tips will have you of the couch and getting things done.
As we valiantly commit to providing the best nourishment for our little ones, moms nursing newborns also commit to 24-hour days and 10-12 hour “night shifts” that can leave us not only sleep deprived, but within millimeters of our sanity.
December! December! Bring on the holiday games!! I researched and pinned all over Pinterest to find you the best games for your family this year.
These simple DIY outdoor pillows take less than an hour to make.
Let’s do crafting therapy and give your porch some personality!
If you need more adventure in your life, but don’t have time for an exotic vacation, try an adventure course near you. If you live in Arizona, you are in luck! Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course is a day trip away and promises fantastic thrills, challenging obstacles and tons of zip lines. Here’s how to prepare.
Have you been living in the same place for years and still don’t know your neighbors’ names? Don’t worry. I I didn’t know my neighbors either. Here is why I decided to make a change and three steps you can use to introduce yourself to neighbors.
Disclosure: We were given a Noggle for the purpose of review. All opinions are strictly our own. There was one time when I fortunate enough…
It can be hard finding your authentic self when we put so much energy into our family every day. It becomes so difficult to untangle where your identity ends and your identity as a parent begins (news flash- they are different)! We’re going to share 3 things you can do to have healthy boundaries with our kids and family and help you find your authentic self.
When you have anxiety, you feel like you’re all alone. But you’re not.
Here are 5 tips to cope with the anxiety we feel as moms.
We are frustrated and overwhelmed. Here’s what to do when we feel like we’re failing as a mom.
As a mom, I put hobbies on the backburner.
I didn’t know I was doing it at the time. It wasn’t a conscious decision.
To help end the mommy wars, I plan to keep creating an honest conversation through Whimsicle where as long as children are healthy and loved, all…
Feeling guilty about taking time alone as a mom? No need. Read on to see why you need it. Learn how time to yourself will change the way you parent.
The absurd ways I meet my neighbors are legendary. While I do have some sane methods of getting to know my community, this story is not one of those. Here’s what I did when I came downstairs in the middle of the day and thought someone had broken into my laundry room.
We share our thoughts on motherhood, the ups and downs of it all, and 3 essential tips on how to reclaim your joy as a mom during those rough days in parenting.
Do you feel like you’re too nice?
One of my students called me out for that my first year of teaching.
In her very astute, wise little fifth grade voice she told me, “Mrs. Crohn, you are too nice”
But wait… don’t you want to be nice? Isn’t that something to aim for?
Kind yes. But nice…nice is taking on the full responsibility of other people’s feelings and adapting your behavior to make others happy.
That’s what I was doing when an 11-year-old called me out.
Santa. The Easter Bunny. The Tooth Fairy. All magical creatures that parents love keeping alive for their children. However, what happens when the parents slip…
In the midst of this strange season of social distancing and change, money may well be a scary topic for you. Maybe you’re like my family and you’re working through a big loss of income due to the pandemic? Maybe overwhelm and anxiety define your money situation in this season of uncertainty? Maybe you’ve decided to keep your head down and eyes closed, playing the “if I don’t look at it, then it can’t be real game” that our kids played when they were little?
Planning a party for the Big Game? Here’s how to make a simple, yet impressive snack stadium.