When you’re a mom, you witness the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good being the fact that your little ones are the cutest darn things ever, and there is no way you could possibly love them any more than you already do. The bad being the inevitable tantrums, insanely large messes left behind by your munchkins, and teaching them things like right from wrong, and respect which they will not always like you for. And then there’s just the straight up ugly. Which is the reality that you will be doing A LOT by yourself.
The cooking, the cleaning, grocery shopping, watching the kids, attempting to master the balance between keeping your little ones in line while staying somewhat likable, and attempting to look like a perfectly happy and sane mama while doing it all?
Haha!
Ummmmm…..no.
I have pretty much said screw you to the last one. We are all going to eventually have to break down and cry in the closet so the kids don’t see and assume somebody died. Keep a secret chocolate and wine stash in the closet just for these times. Trust me. You’re welcome.
Don’t get me wrong! Being a mama is literally the best and most beautiful thing that could happen to a person! But all the stress that comes with it??? It really sucks.
So here are 10 of the ways I try to cut a little bit of that stress out, and make being a mom easier!
- When you wake up, make a list of things you need to get done that day. Keep it really simple. Keep it in groups of three and have a section for each part of your life. For example, today I have 3 things to clean, 3 things related to my little girl that I have to do, and 3 things to do for myself.
So it looked a little like this:
House
- Vacuum floors
- Wipe down counters
- Make bed
Little Girl
- Bath
- Read some books
- Nap on time
Me
- 10-minute workout
- Shower
- One episode of my favorite show
2. In the corner of your to-do list, make a quick meal plan. This 30 seconds in the morning of planning ahead will save you from those frustrating times when you can’t decide what to make for dinner and need to get some food in your family quick. This will also help to remind you if there is a portion of the recipe that has to be made ahead.
3. Chose easier meals. Sure it’s fun to make meals from scratch and spend time in the kitchen. But every night, when you have one or more little people running around pulling on you asking a million unrelated questions and wanting hugs and crying over any darn thing? Not a chance. Keep it simple. For easy 30 minute dinners try spaghetti with a store bought sauce and frozen garlic toast, beef stroganoff, or just subs! Slow cooker meals are also a great option! Try easy slow cooker pulled pork, slow cooker steak fajitas, and slow cooker honey garlic chicken with vegetables, which is basically the entire meal in one slow cooker!
4. If your kids are old enough, they need to be helping you out. Here is a list of age appropriate chores so you know how much they should be able to handle.
5. It’s not always all going to be done. Just take a second to understand and accept that the mess is going to be there sometimes. Once you acknowledge this and get over it, part of the stress just melts away! You aren’t going to be able to do it all some days and that’s okay! There are a few things that i like to do everyday but other things just happen when I can manage to get to them. Everyday things include things wiping down counters, vacuuming, and making the bed. If these things are done it doesn’t look nearly as messy.
6. Distract with snacks for a quieter and less stressful grocery trip! For younger kids you can use fruit loop or cheerio necklaces, and for older kids you can have a sandwich bag of grapes, cheese cubes, chips, etc. I definitely remember my mom utilizing this tip when I was a kid!
7. Turn your grocery list into a scavenger hunt for the kids! This is lots of fun, especially if there are two or more kids and it can be a competition. See which one can find the grapes (and everything else on your list) first.
8.Educational T.V. is a great way to occupy the kids! No matter what age they are there is an educational yet entertaining show out there for them. Giving you time to get some things done and have some time to yourself!
9. Quiet time before bed! For an hour or thirty minutes (whatever works for you and your family) keep it quiet in the house. Have the kids ready for bed and doing a quiet activity, like reading, praying, or drawing (in their rooms). This helps them to wind down, have their glass of water (that they suddenly need when it’s bed time), and come to terms with the fact that the day is over and no they can’t watch just one more episode because T.V. time was over a while ago. This will also give you some well deserved alone time or a chance to catch up on your extensive to-do list.
10. Remember why you do what you do! Whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed with my role as a mom and everything going on in my life, I just look at my daughter’s sweet face and remember how much I love her and how important making a good life for her is to me. Then, suddenly, I’m much more relaxed and determined at the same time. Much more at peace, and ready to handle whatever was frustrating me before.
*BONUS TIP* Make sure you yourself are getting enough sleep! It will help you to be more productive and focused the next day, and you definitely need to be feeling your best to do your job as a mom! If you are having a hard time falling asleep try some melatonin or an eye mask to make it easier. 😉
What do you do to make your role as mom a little easier???
