What really matters in this moment

This afternoon was fun, but I’m also going to be real: It was a little tough. Even though it’s Sunday, Lebrean and I both had work to do, which left Davis demanding our attention for much of the day. Insert “mom guilt,” right? Well, not quite.

I really try not to use the term “mom guilt” (although I have been guilty [no pun intended] of it in the past). A guest on “The Shameless Mom Academy” podcast a while ago suggested thinking of it as a “pull” instead of guilt. We all recognize that pull, when our kids demand our attention, but we have so much else to do. But why should we feel guilty about it? Why do we accept “mom/mommy guilt” as an inherent part of motherhood that we all just have to live with?

I think it’s healthy to recognize that there is a pull, and we’ll always feel it. Sometimes we have to answer the call (for work tasks, household chores, important phone calls, etc.) while our kids want our attention, and sometimes they will be disappointed (ouch!), but they will be ok! There is nothing to feel guilty about, moms! It’s life, and we have to manage it. And because our lives entail more than just parenting, we have to manage all of that, and it’s ok.
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But today, I finally put my work away around 4:00, and we went outside to enjoy the pool. I knew that meant I would have to spend my night working after Davis went to bed, which I try not to do on a regular basis. But today, I needed to.
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My anxiety really starts to ramp up on days like this, when I can’t stop thinking about everything I want to get done before the day ends, and realizing that I’m doing absolutely nothing to get closer to that goal.
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These are the days when I really have to ask myself, “What really matters in this moment?” and “Does this REALLY need to be done RIGHT NOW?”
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I may go to bed a little later than I’d like, or I may have a little more to do tomorrow because I didn’t check all the boxes today. But at the end of the day (literally), the world didn’t end.

This cute customized tumbler is from HayTees, and I LOVE it because it’s exactly what I’m constantly striving to be: a shameless mom! If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know that “The Shameless Mom Academy” is one of my all time favorite podcasts!