A Sanity Saver

You probably know the day:

Babies wake up early, in a grouchy mood.

Mom is in a grouchy mood.

Dad is out the door before you know it.

Mom scratches her head wondering "how on Earth will we all survive the day?"

It happens to the best of us.

I remember shortly after Sahara was born, I was stressed. Stressed to the max.

My mom gave we the wise advice to stop trying to do it all, because it was okay that it wasn't all going to happen.

This bit of advice changed my mothering, and I still think of this many times a day:

stop trying to do it all, just stop.

I am the type that needs to have some control. So when our day starts off, or even starts inching toward mayhem, I stress.

My throat gets tight and my breathing gets faster. I lose my patience, too much.

Motherhood has taught me that sometimes, I just need to let go.

Stop worrying.

Roll with things.

Because of my Mother's advice to be oaky with things not getting done, I have learned (albeit slowly) that when S needs me, it is okay.

Okay to drop what I'm doing, in more circumstances than not, and to play. 

It has helped me so much to channel that stress into something like laughing, or making Sahara laugh.

I have found that when I use this advice, our day can quickly go from mayhem to harmony, crying, to laughing and playing. It is a sanity saver.  

So, thank you Mom, for that wise advice, that dishes can wait a minute, laundry can be folded at naptime, and floors can be swept, mopped, and vacuumed when I am not needed by little hands reaching and grabbing to be held. 

I am so thankful for this advice, it makes for a much happier mom, and baby at this house.