21 May Moms Aren’t Really THAT Busy, Are They?

We probably all know that single person – in their mid-twenties, early thirties – never married, no kids with a surprising amount of advice and judgment on how to raise children.  I’ve watched them with a giggle as they pass out advice on how to get kids to sleep at night, how to make them eat their veggies and how inappropriate it is to wear Superhero costumes to the grocery store.  I’ve watched Facebook feeds, with my mouth hanging open in shock, as these wise people tell their horror stories of witnessing a toddler meltdown at the mall and the disgraceful behavior of children at a restaurant.  I know all about this brilliant type of person…  because it was me.  <Insert very embarrassed face here.>

I can clearly remember when I was single – long before kids (in fact I never planned on having any!).  I had enough opinions and theories about raising children and keeping a home, that I could probably have sunk a ship with them.  For real.  I had so much to say and not even the sense to realize that I should keep my inexperienced mouth shut!

Things Change with Time

Boy, do things change!  You know, ever since getting married and having children I have been systematically eating my words for breakfast.

One such opinion was:  Moms aren’t really that busy, are they? I seriously want to slap my old self in the face for that one!  I had no understanding of the constancy of parenting.  There is no break.  You are on duty EVERY SINGLE MOMENT.

Besides the day-to-day routine of cleaning little faces and brushing little baby teeth, laundry piles that never shrink and cooking for hungry little wolves (who want to eat at least THREE TIMES A DAY – I mean, REALLY?!), homeschooling, my full-time job as a nurse, nurturing a relationship with my husband and oh great, the dishwasher just died, is the constant voice in the back of my mind reminding me that this is the only childhood that these two little people will ever have.

Being Single was Easy!

When I was single, all I had to think about was a sparkling clean apartment and myself.  Now, I triage my priorities, out of necessity. Will it be the dishes or a spontaneous trip to the Splash Pad this morning?  Do I watch the laundry pile get a little higher or do I take the kids to the library?  Am I going to get that bathroom cleaned today or is it going to be a bug-catching day?  I never dreamed as a single person that I’d be bug-catching.

Today is the only day I can make memories with my children.  Today is the only day that I can create joy in my children’s lives. I have to be intentional in creating a day that they will remember and pass on to their children.

The Value of NOW

Busy doesn’t even begin to touch what a Mom is.  There will never be enough hours in the day to pour enough love into our families and to keep the house clean and home in perfect shape.  It’s not even possible!

I missed my son’s birthday a couple of weeks ago for a trip I had to take.  Of course we celebrated before I left and again when I returned. It was a little extra, maybe, but it was a good reminder to me of the value of NOW.

Today is the only day that I am guaranteed with my children.  This is the only day we have together to celebrate life. It’s the only day I have to teach them respect and kindness, to overflow their hearts with love and joy so that they go to bed with a sparkle in their eye and a smile on their lips.

Being a Mom is the best job I’ve ever had.  And when I think of how I so arrogantly assumed that Moms weren’t really all that busy…  I was right, in a way.  Moms are busy, all right.  So much busier than I ever dreamed.