I feel overwhelmed.
It's easy to feel like you're out of control when you spend so much time reacting to other people's needs. You don't need much, but maybe a minute or two to breathe and a tiny bit of help wouldn't go amiss.
in control, not overpowered.
They say that moms are the glue that holds a family together.
I don't think these people (whoever "they" are) realize just how irritatingly accurate that metaphor is. Like glue, moms are ridiculously strong and can carry far more than our own weight. We are both what makes things function in the first place and the first thing anyone turns to the second something breaks. Unfortunately, we are also only ever really noticed if we somehow don't do what's expected of us. If we do our job properly, no one really notices. If we're extra good at it we're not even visible.
So yeah, moms are glue. It makes a pithy mother's day card, but it doesn't really help us all that much.
Being Glue is Exhausting
The glory of being "the glue of the family" doesn't help when we've gotten everyone up, gotten everyone dressed, made all the lunches, driven everyone everywhere, folded all the laundry, cleaned up the house, maybe even snuck in a bit of work....we're ready to go to bed...and when we look at the clock it's 7:59am.
Being the glue doesn't help when we spend an hour cooking a dinner that everyone has finished eating before you even finish dishing up your own plate. (Yay solo dinner and then dishes!) It doesn't help when you have a to do list the size of your arm and you have to get it done whether you're sick/tired/depressed/exhausted/busy or not because people need clean clothes, packed lunch boxes, and checked homework.
Sometimes, being the glue sucks.
Am I Ever Not Going to Feel Overwhelmed?
Yes. The short answer is yes.
You will someday wake up and just get to focus on yourself. You will be able to occasionally say 'no' to dealing with someone else's crisis if you're not feeling up to it. You will feel powerful, capable, and in control of your own life.
Yes, this day can even occur when you have kids living under your roof. (How depressing would it be if I just said "that's what old age is all about" and skipped off whistling evilly?)
You can feel in control as a mom. You just need a little help.
That's where we come in.
How to Get Your Control Back
To get control of your life as a mom, you need two things: strategy and support.
You need the strategy to structure your days so the important stuff gets done first and you can shrug off the rest guilt-free. You need strategy to figure out how to put your to do list puzzle pieces in order in a way that makes sense.
You also need the support to know someone has your back...that you're not the only one that feels this way, that you are doing a Herculean level of work (for no pay and very little thanks), and that it's 100% FREAKING NORMAL to be stressed out by it.
Because you are. You're doing a hard thing well.
How to Get Your Control Back.
If you're feeling overpowered by the massive amount of crap on your plate, you need two things: strategic help and someone to understand that you need a break. Fortunately, we have both.
Get It FreeMore about Overwhelm
How to Help Kids Remember Their Schedules
Getting your army of small humans out the door and on time is an age-old struggle. Here's an in-depth tutorial on how to help kids remember their schedules.
Read More...
The Power of a To Do List
Everyone knows that you should have a to do list, but few know the reason why they're actually such a powerful tool.
Read More...
How to Create a Routine Your Kids Will Actually Follow
Getting kids (from babies to teenagers) to follow a routine is one of the hardest (yet most beneficial) things a parent can do. By leveraging different types of time, you can make your life much easier.
Read More...
The 4 Simple Steps to Failproof Goal Setting (Your Goals Won't Work Without)
Most people set goals. Many even write them down. Learn how to set failproof goals and translate them into a daily to do list that will guarantee your goals become realities.
Read More...
How to Set SMART Goals
Whether or not you accomplish your goals depends on how you set and structure your goals. Learn how to set goals you'll actually accomplish.
Read More...
The Broken Windows Theory (and What It Means for Your House)
What does criminology have to do with your kitchen counter? It turns out a heck of a lot! Here's how the Broken Windows Theory (borne from 1980s policing strategies) can help you keep your house clean!
Read More...
Making Time for Exercise as a Busy Mom
There are some days as a busy mom that nothing sounds more enticing than a nice, quiet run. What you usually get is a toddler-laden sprint from the car into the grocery store. Same difference, right? NOT.
Read More...
How to Include Your Kids in Your Excercise Routine
An important part of a “mom-friendly” workout routine is the simple fact that the more you get your kids involved in your exercise regime, the more likely you are to actually get to exercise.
Read More...
Don't Forget the Big Picture
In our struggle to get all of the busywork, tasks, and jobs done, no matter how much we like them, we can lose sight of the bigger picture of life.
Read More...
Side Hustles You Can Do From Home
If you want to set up your own side hustle from home, then you’ll be glad to know that this is sometimes very easy to do. Here are my best ideas to get you started.
Read More...
Actually Accomplish Your Goals
All of us have goals, but (like that treadmill gathering dust and Goodwill-bound clothes in the garage) many of them never get used. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating goals you will actually accomplish. Not a bad thing to teach the kiddos either.
Read More...
Why Do Moms Need Help Staying Sane?
Motherhood, especially when you get to stay at home with your kids, is always described as a gift, a blessing, a time to cherish. So why do moms sometimes feel like we're going crazy?
Read More...
Self Care is Stupid
Moms don't have a lot of time to pamper ourselves. Or sleep. Or go to the bathroom alone. Here's a guide to taking care of yourself that doesn't require booking off hours and hours for a spa day.
Read More...
How to Create a Top-Down (aka Failproof) Budget
This post will take you through and almost fail-proof budget creation strategy that will help you prioritize your expenses to make sure what's coming in is actually paying the important stuff first.
Read More...
The Best Fitness Trackers for Moms
There are so many different fitness trackers out there. (Trust me, I've tried most of them.) Here's the scoop on which ones are the best for the mom lifestyle.
Read More...
How to Have More Patience as a Mom
Being a mom can be frustrating sometimes. It's not easy taking care of tiny humans. Here's how to stay patient through all the chaos.
Read More...
How to Deal with Stress as a Mom
Stress. That naturally-occurring feeling (as a mom) that you are the only thing holding everything together and if you rest for a second your entire family will fall to their certain doom. Yeah, here's how you deal with that.
Read More...
Running List of the Best Household Products in Existence
This should really be called "household products without which my house would have long since fallen into a smoldering wreck of dog drool, dust bunnies, and stale bags of Dorito shrapnel".
Read More...
Double Your Daily Productivity in Just 10 Minutes
Is your to do list is taller than you are? Maybe you work without stopping all day and still don't feel like you got enough done when you pass out on top of your partially-folded laundry pile?
Read More...
How to Make More Time without Really Changing Anything
Make your life easier without spending money, expending massive effort to change your habits, or hiring a live-in nanny.
Read More...
How to Create a Chore Chart for Kids (that Actually Works)
Childhood is when kids learn important skills like money management, work ethic, and intrinsic motivation. Having a properly-designed chore chart can teach all three. (AKA My parental love letter to chores.)
Read More...
How to Teach Kids to Connect with Older People
If you know you're spending time with family over the holidays and you know you're going to need some time to yourself to stay sane, you need to read this blog post.
Read More...
7 Easy Ways to Make Tidying-up a Lifelong Habit
Get your kids excited about tidying-up, whilst creating a lifelong habit for them at the same time. Follow these 7 Simple Hacks that work for you today, and them tomorrow!
Read More...
A Mother’s Day Post
As we are a month away from Mother’s Day, I wanted to take the time to think about the reasons being a mom is what I love.
Read More...
To the Stay At Home Moms- Leave the House Saved My Life!
Since my kids were little, I left the house daily as a stay at home mom. I never had anywhere to go though, and it helped my mental health!
Read More...
Definitions and Types of Surrogacy
Exploring the Path of Surrogacy: Navigating Choices for Building Your Family
Read More...
How Teen Girls Can Build Resilience in a Challenging World
Discover how teen girls can harness resilience to navigate the unique challenges of today's world, from social media pressures to academic expectations, and emerge stronger.
Read More...
11 Tips on When Your Baby Refuses a Bottle
As a parent, this situation can be both confusing and concerning. Rest assured, though, this phase is entirely normal, and many parents face similar challenges. Here are 12 tips to guide every parent through this tricky situation, ensuring your baby receives the nourishment they need.
Read More...
11 Tips on When Your Baby Refuses a Bottle
As a parent, this situation can be both confusing and concerning. Rest assured, though, this phase is entirely normal, and many parents face similar challenges. Here are 12 tips to guide every parent through this tricky situation, ensuring your baby receives the nourishment they need.
Read More...
How to Manage Mom Anxiety at Night
When worries and fears about your children and their wellbeing keeps you from sleeping, there are ways to manage the anxiety that seems to creep in even louder at night.
Read More...