Mom Fatigue.

I like to keep it real with mom-hood, so here it goes. We have three incredibly precious kids. All of them are perfectly imperfect. My kids are all insanely different from one another, and I adore that (although it makes things more challenging at times). They are my why, they are my stress, they are my heart, they are thorns in my side, yet they are my oxygen. Being a mom is unbelievable. Like, did God really give me three humans to keep alive and I can’t even remember to turn my straightener off? What kind of a joke is that? These lucky kids of mine have a mom that’s OCD and ADHD af (can you imagine?). I’m a complete mess most days, and they just love me anyways. Their hearts and minds are so pure and genuine. I’m so proud to be their mom. I often think that I don’t deserve them. Being a mother is so rewarding, yet extremely exhausting...I call this “mom fatigue”. It means that no matter how much I sleep, I’m still tired. No matter how sweet they are, they still wear me out! I can shoo them away or not be the nicest at times, but they STILL WANT TO BE UP MY ASS! I mean, can a girl use the bathroom in peace (dad can but not mom)? Nope, not when she has 3 kids that love her more than she deserves. I swear I say “what the f**k” in my head at least 12 times a day. I’m very sarcastic by nature, either you will laugh or be offended, you can choose. If I offended you, we might not make it... jk. I struggle with anxiety and have for my entire life, so I think sarcasm is my relief. I refer to my kids as “assholes” all the time (not to them) because just like adults, kids can be assholes too. Mine just happened to learn from the best (it’s genetic lol). Kids are allowed to have hard days just like we do, they are human. I’m completely against “mom shaming”. We are all doing the best we can. It’s a collaboration to successfully parent, let’s be kind to one another! Saying that my kids are perfect angels all the time would be untrue, so you won’t hear that from me. Fact of the matter is, if they weren’t so smart, funny, sarcastic (I secretly love it) and cute, they’d be in trouble all the time! Being a mom is ridiculously challenging for me some days. I’ve found that one of the reasons is because I try to overdo it. As I’m maneuvering through this new way of life, I’m realizing why I’m so tired. Learning that it’s ok to say “no” to lavish birthday parties that I’m not up for, was big for me. But you know what, 2020 didn’t give me a choice (thanks Covid)! I had to scale back, and overdoing it wasn’t in the cards (yay)! We changed it up, and they loved having just 1 friend stay the night! It was super low key and perfect! I have also realized that the school will still go on no matter if I’m involved in the PTA or not! If you are, kudos to you because that shit can be brutal! I have to do my part and parent/teach of course, and I will volunteer when I want, but nothing will collapse if I don’t... liberating right? Now I’m excited and look forward to the school parties or field-trips (please God let that still be a thing post pandemic), because it no longer feels like an obligation! The last thing I want to say, for now, about being a mom is something I feel like we all need to hear. Be kind to yourself, there is no perfect parent. There will be peeks and valleys, the kids will test boundaries, and there is no “one size fits all” for parenting. Only you know what your kids’ needs are. You know your capabilities and you know when it’s time to take a break. If that break means close your door and scroll on IG, do it! If that break means you and the kids walk away from the school work and have a dance party, do it! If it means you need a girl’s night out or a kid free date, DO IT. Stop with the mom guilt and remember, we can’t fill their cups if our’s are empty.