The Struggling Workin Mama
If you would have asked me the definition of the word “Mother” before I had kids, or even 6 months ago, I would have given a very different answer than I would today. I’m also positive in 6 months my definition today wouldn’t be the same. Truth is, the hardest part of motherhood is that you’re constantly learning and things move so quickly.
With my oldest, I’ve successfully weaned her from boob and bottle, transitioned her to a big girl bed and potty trained. Nothing scares me more though than taking away her binky. She is very low maintenance and adapts to change better than most people I know (adults included!) but ever since she was little the binky has been a great source of comfort. Currently she only has her binky when she’s sleeping and in the car but thought of permanently taking it away makes me very nervous.
Last weekend I realized that Easter was in a few weeks and I hadn’t bought anything for Easter baskets. We don’t go crazy with gifts for Easter, to be honest I’m still recovering from Christmas and Olivia’s birthday, but in addition to hiding eggs filled with candy and coins I usually pull together a few items for their actual basket.
If you have children in daycare there’s nothing like walking in and finding out they will be transitioning to a new room. While on the one hand you are excited for your child and the new experiences they will have, on the other you know how much chaos ensues when you alter their routine. Each child is different and so is the room change – some don’t seem to impact them at all. We’ve had a mixture of the two and it’s varied even between my two girls.
Some people are shoe people, some people are purse people, and some people – like me – are drawn to jewelry. I credit my grandmother with passing on this obsession to me, I remember being little and noticing the many rings and necklaces she wore whenever I would see her. When I became a mom I was super excited about finding a “mom” piece. Working full time I spend a lot of time away from my kids and I wanted a piece with their initials/names/birth stones that would remind me of them. For me I knew I wanted a ring or a bracelet and started my search there.
My next post was supposed to be about the surplus of pictures I have accumulated since becoming a mom and fun ways to display them, but today happened instead. To be frank nothing out of the ordinary happened today to make it a hard day, but I think it’s important to be as authentic as possible. I, for one, am tired of the overly curated blogs only showing the best moments of motherhood. To me that does a disservice to mothers looking for support because it’s just not how it is 24/7.
Before I had my second child I was a hard pass on meal prepping. Spending my Sundays cooking a couple meals was not something I was interested in, it seemed time consuming and no matter how hard I try cooking is not something I enjoy. When I returned to work and had two kids in daycare I quickly realized buying lunch every day at work needed to stop, if I put the work in it was an easy way to save a significant amount of money each week. I tried taking leftovers at first or bringing a frozen meal but often wouldn’t end up eating it and would grab something from the cafeteria, which meant I was wasting food and spending money. Double fail. So I starting making an extra meal on Sunday just to bring for lunch each day. Here are some things I’ve learned…
Let’s talk daycare. My girls will be 3 years and 18 months old next month. They have both been in daycare since they were 12 weeks old. Before my girls daycare was a foreign concept to me, I was never in it and it wasn’t the choice for those closest to me with kids. Instead of trying to cram everything I’ve learned into one GIGANTIC post, I thought a series of posts about major moments I’ve gone through being a daycare mom would be easier to digest.
It’s the middle of January and the excitement of the new year has worn off. If I’m being totally honest it wore off January 2nd when I returned to work. December is a magical month, even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, being in the workforce, you’re most likely privy to office holiday parties, a general work attitude of “it can wait” and more days off than usual. Combine that with twinkling lights and any and all reasons to indulge and you’ve got yourself a holiday high.
Then all of the sudden, New Year’s Day is over and you’re forced back into reality like it never happened. You return to work groggy from your holiday hangover similar to the feeling of a screaming baby waking you in the middle of a deep sleep.
While I’m still struggling through like anyone else here are some simple things I’ve found that help:
How are you doing this winter Tuesday?
Find me on instagram @thestrugglingworkinmama
