Hustle and Slow, Mama

Before I had kids, there was a time when the laundry was done every night and there were never any dishes in the sink. The dogs were always groomed and the living room was always picked up. Basically, my house looked as if nobody was ever home and that was the way I liked it. I loved living in a house that looked like it came out of a magazine. I mean, I still do but that’s just not realistic when kids happen.

Giving birth to my son was the best, most rewarding thing I have ever done, but let me tell you what I have learned.

MOM GUILT IS REAL!

I feel amazing, like Superwoman on the days when I am able to get all the things done. The personal sense of accomplishment I get on these days is so rewarding, but the overwhelming guilt makes it not worth it. You learn to put your little people before yourself. I have come to accept the days when there are dirty dishes in the sink, laundry on the floor, and sticky messes on the counters. I accept these things because that means that I was able to enjoy the smell of my son’s skin a little longer that day, was able to watch the glow in his eyes when he saw something he loved for a couple more seconds, and watch the slight smirk grow on his face as he falls asleep in my arms.

So many moms tell us to “enjoy them while they’re little, they grow so fast”. When I brought my son home from the hospital, I can’t tell you how many moms said they don’t remember their children ever being “that tiny”. My thought was “yeah, right, I am NEVER going to forget this”. Well, truth is, he is only 4 months old and it is as if I never held him as a tiny, newborn baby.

Receiving advice after advice after advice is tremendously overwhelming but if there is one thing you do take in mama, let it be this…

Slow your hustle.

I know it’s hard to do, but they do grow so fast. In the blink of an eye, when you’re washing those dishes or folding that laundry they’re growing. You never know when the last time will be when they fit into that cute outfit they came home from the hospital in, the last time they’ll wear a size 1 diaper, or the last time they will want to be rocked to sleep in the middle of the day.

It’s okay to have those days when you do get everything done but remember, it’s also okay to not. It’s okay to enjoy their scent, their touch, and their looks. After all, babies don’t keep and childhood doesn’t stay. Don’t be that mom so entangled in the everyday life that you are one day looking at a teenager wishing you would have spent more time snuggling, playing, and learning with them.

Slow the hustle, mama. I promise it will be worth it.