This is a love letter to all the amazing, hard-working, and inspirational moms I meet every day of my life who are slogging through life with small children. It’s damn hard.
To the mom who lost her temper at the farm market today and screamed at her kid when he ran off and scared her to death . . . it gets better.
To the mom who goes to bed every single night worried that she didn’t do enough to help her child with learning difficulties, or physical disabilities, or both . . . .it gets better.
To the stay at home moms who worry that the monotony of the day to day rituals of meal preparation, butt-wiping, and tantrum wrangling will push them over the edge. . . it gets better.
To the mom who feels like she will never feel rested again because she is up with her 1 week old/1 month old/1 year/10 year old five or more times a night . . . it gets better.
To the mom who answers the same question over, and over, and over, until she thinks she just starts tuning out . . . it gets better.
To the mom who forgets what it is like to leave the house in anything other than yoga pants . . . it gets better.
To the mom who is standing firm in her beliefs about what her baby/toddler/child/ adolescent needs even though society and maybe her own family disagree vocally . . . it gets better.
To the mom who feels guilty when she’s at work and guilty when she’s at home. . . it gets better.
To the mom who is paralyzed by anxiety because of hormones, or chemicals, or just bad timing . . . it gets better.
To the mom who feels alone, isolated, and like no one, even her partner really understands the daily monotony of child-rearing . . . it gets better.
To the mom who just wants to run away — and doesn’t feel guilty about it . . . it gets better.
To the mom who struggles with depression and can imagine for a horrifying second what it would feel like to completely lose all control. . . it gets better.
How do I know it gets better? It has to, right? We have each other. We’re all here. Let’s do this colossally important and colossally difficult task of mothering together.
What do you want to say to the moms you are in the trenches with?
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Thank you for -To the mom who goes to bed every single night worried that she didn’t do enough to help her child with learning difficulties, or physical disabilities, or both . . . .it gets better. I needed that one today!
We are so hard on ourselves. It is a good reminder that we are all doing the best we can, and when we know better, we do better.
Thank you for a refreshing post that was just what I needed to read today. My son is going through a “clothing refusal” phase and I feel like I don’t have any control over him. I worry about forcing him to do something and at the same time I worry I am being too lenient. I’m going to share this with my Mom friends because we all need a reminder that “it gets better”!!
Oh I know. . . it’s so hard to balance expectations with kids — you want to hold them to a standard but how do you know what is appropriate and not *too* difficult — esp. with little ones.
I think I needed to read this about three weeks ago, but alas, it’s relieving to read now. Thank you <3
And I can say that even though we want to scream and cry at the end of a horrible day, that smile on your child(ren)'s face is what gets you up in the morning.
I know, thank goodness for those moments, right?
Thank you for the encouraging post! I met you at BlogHer and I’m glad we met
I’m so glad you stopped by Jenny — it was great meeting you last week!!
Wow. Thank you. I know I have been in some of these scenarios. It is encouraging to think it does get better. Thank you for making this.
Thank you so much! This brought tears to my eyes and I felt empowered afterwards. I have had a hard couple of weeks. It is so hard to balance everything and it is OK to have that moment of break down… as long as you pick yourself back up! We just need to remember that we are doing the best that we can with what we are given!
What a refreshing idea — mothers SUPPORTING each other!
THANK YOU for this uplifting, community-building love letter. I so appreciate the energy that you are putting out into the Universe!
I had such a rough day/month with a toddler that refuses to nap or let me nap even though I am up all night working from home at night so I can be with him during the day and this post made me feel so much better and refreshed. Thank you!