Listen, I am a TYPE A mom of 2. Before kids, I was extremely organized. I thrived on efficiency and my to do list. I cleaned our house every week to every other week. Everything had a place and it was ALWAYS in its place. So needless to say, I’m a slight perfectionist. Two kids = straight CHAOS. Being a mom has come with its fair share of adjustments from never getting to pee alone again to experiencing a whole new level of joy. It is really hard to sum it all up and honestly, two kids has been a big adjustment for us. While I by no means consider myself “thriving”, here are 5 ways I attempt to thrive in the chaos of motherhood.
Not shower every day
Yes, I said it. Want to know how I seem to “do it all”? Well, in reality, I am in no way doing it all. I currently shower every other day (and sometimes go longer without washing my hair) in order to prioritize and keep our schedule manageable. I just don’t have time to wash, blow dry and style my hair everyday. Its not happening. Another thing I do to prioritize my time is order our groceries online and pick them up. We have one grocery store in town that charges $5 and another that is free. I alternate between them both based on what we need and honestly, $5 is totally worth it to save an hour of my time or more.
Exchange your fab decor for piles of toys
Okay, I really dislike this one. I actually still semi-believe that you can have both! I try to create toy areas in our house so that they are entertained, but so that I can contain the mess. I do this with bins and I also find that keeping the toys organized helps my kids actually “play” instead of just dump toys out or throw them around. Again, the key word here is that I “try” to keep the toys organized and contained.
Turn Your designer handbag into a Mary Poppins Magic Bag
Always always be prepared with a great bag. I like to call mine my bag of tricks. Baby Kevin prefers to just scream BAGGGGG. Either way, my Mary Poppins bag is always filled with diapers, extra clothes, SNACKS and toys. I try to focus on functionality and make sure it is fully stocked at ALL times. Again, I’m in zero ways perfect. I have been that mom in a restaurant with stinky, crying baby and no extra diaper. I have been that mom buying new panties for my potty training toddler at Target because I forgot to pack extra (twice). It happens.
Exchange your nights out for kitchen dance parties
Try not to take yourself too seriously. I find that my biggest parenting flaws so far revolve around me focusing on MY schedule too much and not them enough. Or focusing on perfection instead of fun. My kids don’t care if my house is a mess, the dishes are stacked sky high or if they have a stain on their clothes. They just want to have fun and spend time with me. Its so amazing when you think about it… in a few years they will be teens and not want that! So, embrace the dance parties, reading 800x books and re-dressing barbies 1000x. Have fun.
Lots of prayer
Yes… lots of prayer. The mom guilt is strong and the mom worry is stronger. I need a healthy dose of prayer and the sanity of my husband to conquer the chaos of motherhood big time. Make sure you are taking time to pour into yourself. You can’t give what you don’t have and you can’t drink from an empty cup. Just give me Jesus.
By now, if you have stuck around for this whole post, you know that it was extremely lighthearted. Unfortunately, like life, there are no “quick fixes” or “know it alls”. Motherhood is joyful and hard all rolled up into one. It is a breathtakingly beautiful chaotic mess. Enjoy.