We are officially three weeks into summer break and if you are anything like me, by this point you have probably lost your s*** 72 make that 73 times already. I have one kid, take that back, one very strong willed, determined, sassy and attitude prominent kid. Don't get me wrong I love her more then anything in this world (sorry cookie dough ice cream) but going up to bat against her on a daily basis is EXHAUSTING. Throw working, laundry, cooking etc into the mix and let me tell ya, the burnout is real.
The weeks leading up to summer break moms groups are swamped with posts about their summer bucket lists. Summer bucket lists? I didn't even know this was a thing, the lady full of lists and I knew nothing of this one. Sorry kid. This year though I decided to jump on the band wagon and create the most fun filled, adventurous and exciting list. You could call it the list of all lists or just me setting myself up for failure. Either way, we started off great and for a moment I thought how hard can this really be (every moms thought before s*** hits the fan)?
Well, s*** hit the fan. More so her head hit the concrete ground below her. Hard. What was supposed to be a wonderful day at the splash pad and crossing an activity off our bucket list, turned into a whole new adventure in itself. An expensive one at that. Yeah, a hospital visit was nowhere on that list yet there we were. Addie didn't quite mind though because she got a warm blanket, 2 packets of graham crackers and a grape popsicle out of it. You know what I got out of it? A crap ton of anxiety, constant worrying and a lovely hospital bill to add to our never ending pile. Thankfully though we walked away completely fine and not even a scrape on our body. You can guarantee though I didn't sleep that night and that we have crossed any slippery items off our list. And oh, a huge thank you to my amazing sister in law who helped us stay calm and stayed at the hospital with us while Addie was observed.
For the record, summer break is exhausting. Each day we are coming and going to a new place or activity and then guess what I get to do when we get home? Cook, do the laundry for the day and get a little one to bed. May I add a little one who waits until she absolutely cannot stay awake any longer and endures a massive "I'm overly tired" meltdown. That alone is an exhausting job in itself. I'm still trying to figure out why they call it summer break, there is no break about it. Moms don't get to sit back and do nothing or at the very least even really relax. We still have to wake up at the crack of dawn and do our normal motherhood things plus all the damn activities and camps that we signed our kids up for on top of it. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't call that a break.
Motherhood is exhausting. There are days you go on with very little or even no sleep at all. Moms don't get an excuse as to why they can't help or why they can't make it. We are expected to be there and do almost every single thing. No matter if we are sick, tired or struggling. We have to get up every day, put a smile on our face and show up. It doesn't matter if you had a long or crappy day at work, the minute you walk in that door you have to get yourself together for your kids and oh make dinner while you are it.
The motherhood burnout is real. And sadly, we don't realize it until we are well past being burned out. Until we are having emotional breakdowns in the shower, anxiety or panic attacks or insomnia. We are so focused on giving our kids everything that we lose ourselves. We stop taking care of our own needs. I bet if you asked a group of moms if they got to eat their breakfast right away or if they got to drink their coffee warm the first time, there would not be a single hand raised.
Moms, we get your kids need you but what they don't need is a perfect mom who has it all together. So please first stop being so hard on yourself. Stop trying to plan a million things for them so you can look like the best mom on social media. You are just asking to burn yourself out fast and guess what, your kids think the world of you regardless of any of that. And most importantly, take a break. It is okay to tap out and ask for help. You were someone before you were a mother, don't lose that person. Do not feel guilty for asking for a few hours to yourself. It is okay to say you want to go to the bathroom in private (this alone is a luxury) or drink your coffee in peace. Find something that helps replenish your needs and do it. Take care of yourself please. The motherhood burnout is real.
~At the end of the day, all your children want is you. A mother who is refreshed enough to be emotionally, mentally and physically present.~
