With baby number one, I feel like God was really teaching me and growing me in the area of perfection. I love planning and organizing things and, boy do I love to be efficient. With a new baby, I quickly learned that my schedule took a back seat to baby blowouts, laundry, play time and cuddles with my babe. This took a lot of adjusting on my part and a whole LOT of prayer. Now, with baby number two, I feel like God is really growing me in the area of patience and resilience. Most days, I feel stretched thin, exhausted, short-tempered and overwhelmed. This is a whole new season of motherhood for me and I’ve learned to be okay with that. Right now, I am specifically working on my patience and here are 5 Ways To Be A More Patient Mom:
Pause
Yes, catch your breath mama. The kids are screaming, you have a deadline and dinner is about to burn. Before you yell, before you loose it, before you blame, pause. Take a deep breath. You’ve got this. So many times I get frustrated and just react. I’ve found that taking a minute to pause really helps me get my emotions under control. Most days, I feel like my lack of patience comes from exhaustion so taking a minute to get my emotions in check really helps.
Pray
If your pause isn’t working, pray. If your day starts out chaotic, pray. If your day starts out great, pray. Really… pray a lot. I’ve found that days where I immerse myself in prayer I am such a more patient person. I specifically ask for God to help me parent my children each day and ask for patience and grace. I know I need lots of Grace because most days, I am hard on myself. Most days, I feel like i’m failing at least one member of family because my attention is so spread thin (enter perfectionist me). So, this takes lots of prayer for me to set my mind right and ask for God’s help.
Scripture
Then, back it up with scripture. I like to pray scripture throughout the day, as well as, say it out loud. Here are 10 Verses for a Rough Day, 10 Verses for a Rough Day, and 10 Verses on Patience. God’s Word is LIVING and ACTIVE! It does NOT return void. There is so much power in the Word of God and prayer. Use this mamas. Lean into the word. Lean into Christ.
Mommy Time
Make sure you have some time for you. This is HUGE for your sanity! I still remember telling my doctor after baby number two that I felt overwhelmed all the time and she gave me the best advice. Don’t let your blessings become burdens. Take time for you. Refresh. Recharge. Take a bubble bath. Have a girls night. Read a book. Listen to Music. Go on a date night. Go shopping. Do something for you. And, honestly sometimes this needs to be something ALONE and that O-K-A-Y! Fill your cup.
Sleep
Yes, sometimes, you just need sleep. I mentioned earlier that I have found that most of the time when I am struggling it is due to lack of sleep. Sometimes, the house needs to stay a mess and you need to go to bed early. Sometimes, you need to order dinner and go to bed early. Sometimes, you need grandparents to pick up your kids, and go to bed early. Sleep can change everything!
These are 5 things that have really helped me become a more patient mom, but it is an everyday, every minute process. Do you have another way that helps you be more patient? Comment below.