A year of breastfeeding nearly equates to a full time job. Yes, you read that right. I believe simply fed is best, but it’s a reminder about motherhood and the many invisible burdens moms take on.
Examples:
- Moms buy clothes in the next size up BEFORE a child outgrows their other clothes. I’m talking bathing suits, coats, winter hats and gloves, snow gear, boots, sneakers, and all clothes including accessories.
- If you do holiday or New Year family pictures, moms typically plan those and get those outfits for the picture. Then there’s the scramble to get the digital pics, make the holiday card online, and ship them to fam and friends. Moms have saved everyone’s addresses.👏🏽
- Moms often wonder: Should we really feed the kids chicken nuggets all the time? Moms will research how to solve picky eating issues. For the record, I’m totally cool with the nuggets.
- Day cares, schools and doctors often call moms first (this is why I put my husband as primary contact - love you Trevor Rozier-Byrd).
- Moms typically pull back from work on days the kids are sick and home from school.
- Moms typically plan holidays, vacations, birthdays, play dates, and keep a calendar for family stuff and are always thinking ahead.
There’s so much more I could list here.
And then as a mom, you’re managing your work life. You have passions outside of work and you’re doing you’re best to perform at the highest level because you expect nothing less of yourself. And you want to be the best mom you can be.
It can be exhausting.
We wonder why moms are burnt out, why they are tired of being tired, why they feel guilty and torn about work and family, why they just want to be able to make it all work in this season of life. The answer is not simply for moms to “do less.”
Moms need space and time to give back to themselves. We need the space to think about our priorities, what we really want and need. We need that space consistently.
So this holiday season especially when we are in intense plan and to-do mode, to all the mamas out there: please take time for yourself. Think about what you want for yourself in this season or time in your life and take one tiny step and another towards that.
You can do this.🙌🏽
(And massive shout out to all the dads and partners out there being true partners with caregiving and parenting, and shout out to everyone supporting moms in the workplace and at home. We can’t do this stuff alone.)
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