As a mom to a one year old, as I look back at my first year of parenting I feel like the majority of stress that I had was from my own doing. Parenting is tough work. Attempting to maintain a clean and presentable house, keeping yourself fed, and trying to get a decent amount of sleep each night on top of that is even harder. When I tried to do all these things at once I felt like I was losing my mind! I was snappy with my husband and at times walked around like a zombie from my lack of sleep. I am still learning everyday and when Kailtlyn asked me to guest post on her blog about a variety of mommy topics I wasn’t really sure what I would be able to offer on these posts. As a new mom I sometimes don’t give myself enough credit for what I have learned so far in my parenting journey. The more I sat and pondered what this last year has taught me I began to realize that I have gained a fair amount of knowledge to offer to other moms. Without any more introduction here are my helpful reminders and tips to counteract the mommy stress.
Perfection does not mean happiness. Early on after Caden was born I began to slowly wean myself away from the idea that everything needs to be a certain way in order for me to be happy. This is still a challenge for me on some days. I am the happiest when my home is clean and the majority of the house is picked up. I have learned that by not spending all my time worrying about every little item being put away I have more time to play with my son and spend time with my husband. This has eliminated a huge amount of stress.
Schedule time for yourself. Every person needs time to just breath and enjoy the life that God created from them. What do you love to do? For me I love exercising. It gives me time to just be alone with my thoughts and if I have any stress that is hanging around it motivates me to run a little faster or workout a tiny bit harder. My husband is a firefighter and is sometimes done for days at time. I understand that not every mom has the ability to get a babysitter. When my husband is at work I will set my alarm an hour before my son is going to get up to either work out, read my bible, or try and tackle some of the household chores. It is crazy what a difference that hour makes for the rest of my day. By getting to spend time on a task without have my focus broken I can devote 100% of my attention to my son the rest of day. It is a win-win.
Plan ahead (as much as you possibly can). If you know you are going to the zoo with friends tomorrow load up the stroller the night before. Pre-pack lunches or make double the batch of the next meal you cook and store it in the freezer for a night you are just not feeling like cooking dinner. These things may sound simple but can be a huge stress of your back. When Caden was super tiny I freaked out thinking about how I was going to go grocery shopping with him. Knowing this about myself I researched ahead of time and found a grocery store that delivers for a $10 fee. Totally worth the extra money.
Breathe. No matter how bad it is always remember to breathe. Life is so short to be stressed all the time. My husband likes to say as long as no one is dying we can fix it. There are always going to be bills, sickness, temper tantrums, and numerous other things that come up in this life. Having a family is one of life's greatest blessings. No matter how bad of a meltdown your kid is having there are countless woman who would happily deal with 100 meltdowns if it meant they could have a child of their own.
Do everything in love. If you have little ones it is important to remember that as parents it is our responsibility to teach them right from wrong. Kids will make mistakes. I can’t name anything that Caden would ever do that would make me stop loving him. Josh and I have made a commitment to him to always love him and to always love each other. Even after we discipline him we give him and hug and tell him we love him. We need to be the example to our kids in all areas of life. Try not to rip those pretty hairs from your head! Being a mom is hard but of so rewarding. Love your babies because they will not alway be at their current stage. Cherish everything, even the days you wanted to rip your hair out, because these will be the memories that you hold on to for the rest of your life. Obviously as a new mom I can stand to learn a few things and would love to hear how other moms handle dealing with stress. What tips can you offer on this subject? Did I leave anything out?