As a working mom we all hit that wall of being beyond tired. The good news is weekends are for relaxing and recharging for the following week, right? WRONG! I didn’t realize that when I had kids, weekends transform into the only opportunity I have to catch-up on all of the chores I didn’t get done during the week.
Laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, other shopping, and planning for the next week. Oh and hanging out with my kids. Oh right… that should have come first. See that’s the problem!
So often we think that being caught up on all the other chores outside of our jobs makes us good moms. It should really be the opposite — spending some quality time with our kids. Giggling, reading, running around, laughing, fun on the playground, taking them to their soccer games, whatever!
I have to remind myself almost every weekend that our kids don’t need a perfect mom — They need a happy mom.
Reminding myself of this pulls me back to what’s important when I get lost in the minutia of balancing everything. Ultimately, I’m a much BETTER mom to them when I am a HAPPY mom. I’ve come to realize that I kinda suck as a mom when I’m trying to be ‘perfect’.
You don’t need to be perfect — I mean… your kids don’t know what your definition of a ‘perfect’ mom is.
All they know is their mom is happy and loves spending time with them. They don’t notice that the laundry hasn’t been done, the coffee table is a little dusty or that dinner was a random compilation of foods found at the bottom of the freezer.
So this is just a reminder to the tired working moms out there to keep our priorities in order. Instead of your other to-do list… try this one this weekend. The other stuff will get done eventually.
1. Do something fun with your kids
Go to a movie of their choice, hit the amusement park, plan to go to a kids concert, go to story-time at your local bookstore, hit up a local park with a picnic (or chick-fil-a from the drive thru 🙂 ), or whatever sounds like a blast!
2. Do something fun for yourself
Leave the kids with somebody and take an hour to relax. Yoga at home in peace and quiet. A pedicure. A bubble bath with a glass of wine. Go see a movie that you’ve been dying to see.
It’s your weekend too Mama. Take a minute to congratulate yourself for making it through another week and doing a bang up job while you’re at it. It’s all about acknowledging and celebrating the little things. Self-care is important so that you can be that happy mom.
3. Go to bed early
In my effort to get as much done on the weekend as possible, I cram everything into the daylight hours and then crash in front of the couch at night. I always end up re-watching some movie I’ve seen a million times or getting sucked into a Netflix show. I go to sleep too late and then wake up tired the next day.
Instead of falling into this trap, hit the mattress early this weekend to catch up on your sleep. Instead of searching for something on Netflix, grab a book and a cup of decaf tea and unwind. Hey! This could even be your ‘do something fun for yourself’ if you wanted.
4. Assign chores
It’s never too early for kids to learn that everyone contributes to a household equally. Pick chores that are age appropriate and take a few things off your plate each week. Every little bit helps!
5. Reflect
Time goes too quickly. Take a minute to enjoy where you are in your career, your relationship and take mental snapshots of your kids as they are right now.
What other tips would you add? Comment below!
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