I’m Trying

Since I have become a mom I have been told on several occasions that I am doing a great job. The truth is, from day to day, moment to moment, I fall on the spectrum from complete agreement to complete disagreement.

My response when I am told this is usually, “Thanks, I’m trying”.

No one has this parenting thing down completely. Some days are better than others.   Some days kind of suck. The most important thing I can do for my little one is to just put on my patient pants and give her my all.

If you hear me say “I’m trying”, this is what I hope you hear:

I’m Trying…

…to start every day with the intention that it will be a great day

…to set aside my ‘tired’ the days that I am

…to remember that I am not the only one who is tired

…to be patient, even in the most frustrating moments

…to accept that every day will not be awesome, and that is ok

…to remember that I am not the only one who gets frustrated

…to remember that it is ok that I don’t have everything figured out

…to remember that it is ok to cry, no matter if it is happy, sad or frustrated

…to not feel guilty when household chores don’t get done at the pace I planned

…to put real pants on and leave the house more days than not

…to take care of myself, be it a shower or healthy food or some sort of exercise

…to forgive myself for not eating the healthiest food or making time to exercise

…to prioritize time alone with my husband. A date. A conversation after baby’s bedtime. A good, long hug.

…to forgive myself when the day gets too busy or exhausting or overwhelming and I ask my husband to ‘cook dinner’ (code for let’s go out)

…to be a good friend

…to prioritize fun time for me, and fun time for my husband, together and individually with our friends

…to balance the amount of baby cuddles with independent play

…to say “screw it” some days and get all the cuddles

…to read to her several times every day

…to savor the awesome days

…to focus on the portions of the days which are awesome, when other portions are not

…to remember to laugh

…to enjoy the little moments, even the hard ones

…to not be anxious about everything. EVERYTHING.

…to not compare myself to other moms

…to not compare my child to others of the same age

…to remember that just because something isn’t done my way, doesn’t mean it is wrong

…to remember to take a deep breath

…to remember that I can’t do it all

…to swallow my pride and ask for help when I need it

…to remember that I need to take care of me to be able to take care of others

…to be the best mom I know how, and to try to be better tomorrow

…to give my family as much love as I possibly can

…to remember that the days are long, but the years are short

Let’s be honest, we can’t always be all things to everyone. But when it comes to the important things, I’m trying.