The Mommy Truth

Have you ever watched another woman from afar and envied her composure while you tried to hide the fact that your socks didn’t match and you had not yet bathed that day?  Have you ever read a blog written by a homeschooling, scratch baking, crafty mom of six and felt guilty because your children were currently eating breakfast pastries from a box and you were in danger of being buried under the mountain of dirty laundry? Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought to yourself, “everyone else has it together”? Well, brace yourself.  We are about to uncover the Mommy Truth.

• Your children do not care if there are still cheerios under the table from yesterday’s breakfast. Actually, the toddler will eat them when you aren’t looking and he will be just fine.
• The world will not end if you stop sorting your laundry. Seriously.  Grab an arm load, throw it in the machine and walk away.  Obviously, your new red dress does not need to go in with your husband’s white dress shirt.  Common sense is still key here.  However, the days of “darks, lights and towels” are gone.  Just wash them all and be done with it.
• Your stress level will decrease greatly if you learn the freedom of saying, “Yes.” Say yes to the little one helping with the dishes even though there will be water in the floor.  Say yes to splashing in the rain puddles.  Maybe you could even ask the kids to jump in them with you. J Say yes to discovering things in the backyard even though you have a thousand other things that need done.
• Comparison conquers contentment. Have you ever noticed that, when you compare yourself to another mom, you always come up with the short end of the stick?  Often it’s because you are being too hard on yourself and, most likely, you do not have an accurate view of that other mom.  The simple answer?  Be the very best mom you can be and do not compare.

Here is the truth, ladies.  No one has this thing figured out.  We learn as we go and we share what we learn with each other.  We pray for strength, wisdom, energy and a short line at Starbucks.  We have all yelled when we should have hugged.  We have all had to drag crying toddlers through the store amidst disapproving looks from other adults. The next time you see a mom at her wits end – stop, give her a smile and share with her the Mommy Truth… You are not alone. We are all in this together. And that is the truth.     {Originally published in 2012}