Hey there mama!
Was today a rough day? One of those days when you had insomnia and maybe only got 2 hours of sleep. Those days when your toddlers keep fighting and yelling. The baby doesn’t want to nap and won’t stop crying. It takes every ounce of your over-tired self to keep your patience, as you comfort, correct, and meet request all day long. You find yourself saying ridiculous things like, “stop licking your brothers toes” without even realizing how weird that sounds. There are Cheerios all over the floor, and your snack is leftover sweet potato fries that never made it into the fridge last night.
You change countless diapers, and wipe many dirty faces. You love these wild little people who don’t like to wear clothes, never stop running and moving, and have tantrums so bad that you question if they are a little insane.
You fret that you aren’t doing enough, and worry if you are doing things the “right” way. Am I teaching them enough? Am I showing them enough love? Am I raising up children who will be a light to this dark world?
You pray constantly for God’s help because there are many moments where the patience and the gentle nurturing are not what comes naturally. You take deep breaths, hide in the bathroom for a break, and are secretly wanting to drown your sorrows in chocolate.
You are doing a great job. Even on the days it feels like you are doing everything wrong. Even on the days you question if your kids will ever understand, or get what you are trying to teach them. One day you’ll look up and see glimpses of understanding that melt your heart. When they say sorry to a sibling on their own, or comfort their crying baby brother even though they are only a baby themself. You’ll hear them say, “please” and “thank you” and hear them encouraging their sister who just accomplished a task or built something fun with blocks. You’ll see them sit and play nicely all together, even if it’s only for a few seconds.
Hang in there mama. These tough days and the way you handle them with love and grace will hold more lessons for your kids than you can imagine. When you mess up, you can apologize to those sweet little baby faces, reminding them that you aren’t perfect and that grace doesn’t run out.
On the toughest days pray, breathe, and remember you aren’t alone in the trenches of motherhood.
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