Mothering: How it is
The laundry will never be completely done.
Deciding what is for dinner is a thankless task.
Someone will always need to pee when you are half way home in peak hour traffic, even though you made them go before you left.
Library books will never be returned on time.
Odd socks will become a fashion statement.
The drink bottle or sippy cup will always leak in the bottom of your bag, no matter how leak-proof they claim to be.
You will attempt to catch vomit in your cupped hands on at least one occasion.
Floors, benches and table tops will not stay clear and clean for more than 3 minutes.
You never have a tissue or a wipe when you need one, but there is always one hiding in the pocket of the pants you just washed.
The toddler will wet his pants on the one occasions when you didn’t bring a change of clothes.
Your kids will always remember, and retell, that one time when you lost it and did something you are not proud of.
You will find the swimmers you have been looking for all week, wet in the bottom of last week’s swimming bag.
Your to-do list will always be long.
This is how it is, this mothering gig.
It is not always wonderful, it is hardly ever glamorous, and sometimes it is downright miserable. It is often messy and difficult and overwhelming and sometimes lonely.
But it is also joyful.
It is joyful when we can look at that list and smile.
Life is not perfect or easy, and neither is parenting. When I set aside my ego, and my unrealistic expectations, and my comparisons, and find space in myself to accept that this messy, difficult, imperfect life is wonderful just the way it is, then I find joy.
Find that joy, even on the hard days, because this is how it is.
What would add to the list above?
Love love love what you wrote. Very heartwarming and so true too. Thanks for sharing.
Fantastic post! Love your realistic take on everything! Have a lovely week :-)
love this..so true..especially the laundry never being completely done..sigh..its never ending!
Oh I hear you…………………….we all feel this at some point and I think our own expectations can be our enemy!
Completely true…couldn’t agree more. Well put Lovely! Well put!
Cheers Em
Lovely post Kate. And so true, all of it.
I nodded along with all of those. Maybe add in “Make the requested sandwich only to hear “I don’t like that!” GRRRRRRR!!
Oh yes!!! That and ‘you will ask three times if they want their sandwich cut in squares or triangles, finally cut it and then they will change their minds!” LOL
Yes, yes, yes!
How about kids always cracking it when you want them to behave the most! LOL Such a great post Kate. Made me laugh and of course they are all things we wouldn’t change for the world.
Ohhhhh the vomit. On at LEAST one occasion…..
Haha love it all, so true!
I’m only one year into this gig but can really relate to some of those!
“The toddler will wet his pants on the one occasions when you didn’t bring a change of clothes”
OR, in my case while out on a day trip today…
The baby’s poopey nappy will end up in the library bag because you didn’t bring a plastic/wet bag.
:)
Love this post sooo much!
Totally true, thanks for putting things into perspective for me again
xx
Love it! Spot on – everything I want to tell my first-time-mum friends, everything I wish I understood back when I got on this crazy roller coaster called motherhood :)
The other day, it occurred to me that my biggest achievement of the day was that I didn’t scream at my three year-old. “What has my life been reduce to, I thought?” :) Of course, if not losing my temper with my child means I’m (hopefully, in theory!) showing him how to manage his own emotions, that’s actually a very important achievement, arguably much more so than any of my workplace achievements pre-child. So, that’s how it is. It is what it is. :) The days are long but the years are short. :)
Ha ha ha, so true indeed!! Best thing is though is that there are other mothers out there that feel the same way I do!! And boy, does that help :) Often times when my kitchen is a mess and there are things all over the place I need to take a deep breathe and enjoy the smile on my children’s faces instead of stressing out. Life is short, our children being young is short…. we must enjoy it to the fullest :)
Thank you!