The Price of Parenting: A Confession of a Work-From-Home, First-Time Mom.
No parenting role is easy. Let me start by saying that I truly, deeply admire parents who manage to work a job and still keep their homes from falling apart. I also have massive admiration for full-time stay-at-home moms, because honestly, it is an elite sport!
Right now? I don't even know which team I belong to anymore. I’m just trying to survive.
I am a first-time mother, and even though I am blessed with an incredibly supportive partner, the reality of my daily life is heavy. I wake up stressed, and I go back to bed stressed. And this is just with one child. Just one!
Lately, I have been looking at mothers with toddlers and genuinely wondering what kind of magic spells they are casting to do this daily without completely burning out.
The Illusion of "Working From Home"
The idea of working from home is incredibly beautiful on paper, until you actually have a very active toddler running around. Before I stepped into this chapter, I genuinely believed that working from home while taking care of my family would be the ultimate life hack. I thought it would be an easy, seamless way to navigate the balance between being a present mother and a career-driven woman.
Spoiler alert: It is not working out that way.
My daughter recently turned one, and she is right in the middle of trying to find her voice and talk. It’s adorable, but she will literally call my name 100 times just to communicate one single, particular thing! By the time she finishes, my brain is completely fried.
Because of this, I have realized that I am only ever truly productive when she is asleep. In fact, as I sit down to type this out for Steemit, it is late at night, and she is finally down.
Running on Fumes
Lately, even her daytime naps have become a rare luxury. She hardly wants to sleep during the day anymore, which leaves the night as my absolute only window of opportunity to be a human being, work, or think. But by the time night arrives, she has already used the absolute hell out of me. I am running entirely on fumes.
On most days, I look back at my 24 hours and realize that all I did was attend to my baby's endless needs. I look in the mirror and realize I did absolutely nothing for myself, let alone find the energy to nurture my relationship with my partner. It is a constant cycle of giving everything away until your own cup is completely empty.
A Saving Grace
I have to take a moment to give a massive shoutout to my husband. I am incredibly thankful to him for strongly discouraging me from trying to get pregnant again as soon as our daughter clocked one.
Can you imagine? If I hadn't listened to him, I would be dealing with first-trimester pregnancy exhaustion and morning sickness on top of this active toddler chaos! I think if that were my reality today, I would have quietly packed a small bag, left our daughter with her father, and run away for my dear life! 😂
Calling All Super-Moms: I Need Your Help!
To all the seasoned super-moms out there in this community. I see you, I respect you, and today, I am pleading with you.
Please, kindly share your best survival tips, routines, and ideas on how you hold your sanity together. How do you balance work, a marriage, self-care, and a toddler without going completely crazy? I am open to any and all useful advice before I lose my mind.
Let's chat in the comments below!
Thank you for your time.