A Message from a Mom

There are a lot of things that we do not talk about as stay at home moms or moms in general, and there are also a lot of things that dads just do not understand.

Number 1: Even though we may stay at home all day, does not mean that we just sit around on our asses.

The "What do/did you do all day?" comment, I'm begging you. Everyone has heard it. Let me just say from the time I wake up until about 9 o'clock every night I am chasing a crazed one-year-old around my house, and it is not easy.

Number 2: We lose track of everything!

If you are like me, which I'm sure most moms are, you cannot keep track of anything. My mind is almost always focused on 10,000 things at once, so from my phone to my son's other sock, if you can name it I have lost it at least once.

Number 3: Some days are NOT good days.

If you have ever suddenly woken up to a gagging sound coming from the crib, you know what I'm talking about. Not everyday is rainbows and unicorns. Some days your child will wake up before the sun, and scream until you have to force yourself to get out of bed. Just to go watch the same episodes of the same cartoons for the 15th day in a row. I can admit, there are some days when I have no energy to get up off the couch, and the Spaghetti Os stained high chair is just too much to deal with. I am here to tell you that is OKAY!

Number 4: Sometimes we are in desperate need of a break.

If you are like me, even thinking about taking a break is an emotional thought. As a mom, your child wants you 24/7 and to even want to go to the bathroom by yourself can and will become an issue. Once you close that door and hear that cry, it will make you want to cry as well. You will feel terrible for making them upset. Let me just be the first to raise my hand and say that being a parent is the most stressful job out there, especially being a mom. We are almost always an emotional driven mess. So if you just so happen to be a dad reading this, and you look over and see a shell of a human being sitting next to you. Take the kid and go run her a hot candle lit bath with lots of wine, because chances are she needs a minute to herself.

Number 5: We worry about everything!

By the same token as the above paragraph, there are many things that you just worry about as a mom. Things that you can just sense, but dads do not notice. You constantly worry that your child is sick or hungry or tired. You worry about unnecessary things too, like whether your child will have lots of friends in school or if you can start potty training a one-year-old, because you don't feel like changing ANOTHER crappy diaper. Just know that this is normal and that we've ALL been there girl.

Number 6: There are things you just can't do anymore.

Because I had my son when I was 19, there are things I'm sure that I missed out on. Your selfish 20s as they are sometimes called. Not that I have any regrets. I don't even want to know where I would be if I had not had him so early, but to see things, especially on Facebook, like "Oh! I can't wait for the weekend!" or, "Thank God it's Friday!" it sometimes gets to me. Fridays to me are just like any other day, because I don't get the weekend off from motherhood, and it's hard. It's hard to see people you went to school with or grew up with traveling, or partying or just going out when you're at home. Just know that those parties and those trips do not last forever, and that your life..that Mom Life, is what all of those people are essentially working towards. You just so happen to have a head start.

Number 7: Sometimes we need to be told how good we are doing.

Of course, being a mom or parent comes with many responsibilities, but there is always that voice in the back of your head, especially mine, saying "Oh, you could have done this today" or "Why did you yell at him?" You feel guilty for sitting down when you've gone all morning. Honestly it is nice to have a third-party or a spouse tell you that they see you. They see how hard you are working, and that you are doing an amazing job. I too try so hard and I know that it is exhausting.

Number 8: Our jobs are literally never-ending.

Being a mom is a 24/7 gig, but it is the job I have always strived for. This is the only job where I have ever worked this hard to please someone. Who would have known that the person would be a pint-sized version of his dad that calls me "MUM." This is the job that I am certain I am good at. It is the most rewarding and surprising job that I have ever had. To be able to wake up every day to a tiny human that thinks you are all that and a bag of chips, is an amazing feeling. Messy mom bun, bodily fluid covered shirt, and three-week vacation-sized bags under my eyes and all.

So from one mom to another,

If your little Helion(s) are fed, clothed, and happy by the end of the day, you are doing an amazing job. You are super strong and the fact that you are raising your kids is incredible.

Keep up the good work and thank you for reading.