Some days when I log onto blogger, instagram, facebook and twitter I instantly get discouraged. I read blog posts that are amazing and insightful full of beautifully edited photos of children in adorable outfits.
I compare their posts to mine with their millions of followers and thousands of comments and get frustrated. The post I wrote that seemed so awesome the day before is full of spelling errors and my mindless rambling. The photos are from my iPhone and my kids are fully of snotty noses and stained clothes! I'm lucky to get one comment!
Then I look at the moms themselves in the pictures. Always with their hair curled perfectly, and dressed adorably trendy one day after popping out a baby. Of course the baby weight is all gone!
How do you do it! Some days I barely have time to brush my teeth or comb my hair. Forget working out. Neither kid naps at the same time and the only gym that offers childcare won't accept E until he is 6 months. And lets be honest. If both kids do nap at the same time I'm either scrambling to clean, do laundry or take a nap myself
And lets not talk about the crafty moms. The moms who put me to shame by always doing creative activities with their kids, or who think of all these cute goodie bags for every holiday to pass around to Giannas daycare class. Sigh. I'm lucky if I remember to buy a bag of chocolates to pass around to her class let alone label the bags with a cute tag
And then I wander why I put so much pressure on myself. I don't have to compare myself to anyone. I love reading blogs and following people on Instagram for the fun of it. Not to hold myself up to anyone's standards.
I will still wander how people find time to cram their days full of crafting, learning and play time with their kids while also working out and doing their hair and makeup! But I'm hoping once my husband gets home ill be that mom too!
Until them however the kids and I are hibernating at home, rocking it out in our pjs
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I struggle with this too...sometimes I feel like I have it all together, and sometimes I'm a total hot mess. Some of it is those parents have extra help, or they're only posting the good things.
ReplyDeleteI seriously don't understand how some of these moms have time to do their hair, makeup, nails, have great outfits on and still taking care of their little ones. I will say I am losing my baby weight mainly because of breast feeding I would think. I haven't worked out since who knows when...
ReplyDeleteI should post photos of how I really look on a day to day basis. LOL. This is why there aren't many photos on my blog anymore. If any, they are of Emma.
You are NOT alone in this. I dont have kids, and I still have NO idea how some of these women do it. I think a lot of it is just timing your photographs! Surely they have days where they dont get dressed and curl the hair. I have no idea!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about the other moms. You are doing amazing things, you kids are growing, happy and healthy. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lauren's post, I don't even have kids and it amazes me. But it's true.. everyone has days like this. But, these social sites are all just personal PR so you show what you want us to see! I don't care if people know I have PJ days lol but some people aren't privy to showing that side off!!
ReplyDeleteI just wrote about this!!
ReplyDeleteI honestly think there are a *few* supermoms that can do it all, but truly every one else is faking it.
Don't beat yourself up. You're one parent to 2 kids, a deployed husband & all of you are alive. You, my dear, are the super mom! Serious kudos to you!
I have a son, 2 months older than yours, husband works nights & goes to school full time. My house is a mess, I only change into jeans & put on makeup if I'm leaving the house.
You have no reason to compare yourself to their perfection. They have husbands who help, whether they admit that or not.
Keep rocking your amazing mommy status!!
Okay...this is the longest comment ever, but I feel like you need to hear this as much as I need to write it down for myself, so I can let it sink down into my own soul.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they do. Do it "all" that is. There is one blog in particular that drives me crazy because of all the things you mentioned above. HOW? How can she possibly do all of that, I think? I've decided that we only see a snippet of people's lives through blogging. Who knows if the people who look like they have it all together in blog land, really do? We don't really see their homes or how they treat their children when they're not documenting things for their blog. You just never know. I read a quote once that said, "Don't compare your behind the scenes to someone else's highlight reel." Blogs usually represent someone else's "highlight reel," so it is really unfair to yourself to make those comparisons. Some people may make it look like they're killing it, but who really knows. Pretty much every mom I know *in real life* is just trying to make it one day at a time. These are amazing mommas, some of whom don't have blogs and are blissfully unaware of the expectations laid on the rest of us in the bloggy world and pinterest land. Being a mom to littles is H.A.R.D. Wonderfully rewarding and awesome, but still HARD. You're normal. Most of our lives are not that put together. We're all just trying to make it work. Working moms, stay at home moms, work from home moms. Out here in "non-blog" world, we're all in survival mode. Trust me. No matter how it may look from that one instagram photo we published that one time where both kids were sitting still for that one random moment. We're all barely making it. And if three balls are in the air and we're looking like rockstars juggling them all like a champ, there are 6 more on the floor behind us. (I might have stolen that analogy from Kelle Hampton, but it's a good one.) And, when I'm feeling particularly inadequate, I always think about my own childhood. Did our moms have blogs? Did our moms take 5,000 pictures and upload them on facebook to show how awesome our Tuesday afternoon park adventure was? Did they sit down and make a perfectly orchestrated craft project on every holiday or semi-holiday and document every step for their blog? Chances are, the answer is NO. Was my childhood any less magical because these things weren't happening? No. So, give yourself a break. Do what you can. What you WANT to do. You're children are going to grow up thinking life is magical because you were there for them. You listened to them. You hugged them. You read them 3 more books than you really wanted to even though you Just.Wanted.Them.To.Go.To.Sleep.Already. You've got two tiny babies. BABIES. It's not supposed to be effortless. It's not supposed to look easy. I don't know how other people make it look easy. But I can tell you that for me it's not. I can tell you that for the people I see in real life, it's not. I love reading about other people's lives on their blogs, but I've recently decided that while sometimes they are uplifting, other times they make me feel depressed and inadequate. So, I'm trying to cut out the ones that make me feel bad about myself. If I'm trying to be present with my own children, why should I care about someone else's random Tuesday afternoon park adventure? I should be out having my own. Or, at the very least, killing it with a PJ-clad dance party in the middle of a toy-strewn floor with yesterday's mascara smudged under my eyes. (It works for Ke$ha, right?) ;) Sorry for the long ramble from someone you don't know. I've been going through "it" lately too and wanted to offer my support. Good luck!
Your doing amazing Katie! I know a lot of time I feel like I fail Evelyn when I'm just overwhelmed and tired and don't even want to give her a coloring book. I just have to remind myself that Evelyn is fed, happyand alive! I'm doing great! Some parents could careless about their kids, and how they are doing and the fact that we are trying says a lot! Your doing great hun!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Becky! Do they really "do it all". Sometimes (as much as I love our little social media community) it's a little fake. Some people blog as if their lives are perfect. Like she said though, we only get to see a snippet of people's lives through blogging. We always judge a book by its cover. "You just never know". Seems to me though that you are not lacking in any department. Your family looks beautiful and if your hair isn't brushed who the heck cares! new follower btw and can't wait to read more. I love when bloggers are honest! It always makes them seem like REAL people!!! Thanks for sharing this!
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