If you asked me what I was doing last year this time I’d tell you I was adjusting to a whole new lifestyle. One that I have learned to — in my opinion — master. Being a full-time mom sounds like fun, and it can be if you make it. As stressed as I have been, I always try to see the positive side in all of it.
Spending 24 hours with your child is a blessing, and you do get free time, but that’s after you’ve learned to balance everything on your plate.
I spoke to a fellow blogger the other day about being a full-time mother and managing a blog. We both agreed that it’s no walk in the park. Both tasks have several tasks within themselves.
Why Do I Blog?
During our discussion, Julie, a blogger over at Home Is Where The Heart Is, she mentioned feeling as though she was making her blog a priority instead of her family. To those of you who have never tried running your own blog or let alone a website, there’s a lot of strategic planning that goes into creating and maintaining it.
While working at the B2B publishing company I helped maintain company blogs and even participated in writing a couple of pieces, but that doesn’t compare to starting everything from scratch. And to top it off, having your blog/website highlight something you’re passionate about can sometimes make you question whether or not you still love doing it.
I have put my blog aside a couple of times to help focus on my family and friends and also to brainstorm a bit and I could see why Julie has chosen to do the same. You can read all about why I think it’s important to take a step back and brainstorm for your blog/website over here.
But aside from having the time to do something, it’s really more about making the time for it.
The other day I sat down with my son during art time. Watching him enjoy coloring and doing arts and crafts made me smile, almost just as much as when I do something for myself, like post something new on my blog or connect with brands I love/discover new ones for my family.
Seeing his happiness reminded me of these 3 important things:
1. You’re not the only one who needs a break. My son spends the entire day with me, and although he’ll wonder off to “cook” whenever I start making dinner, he also needs his own space from time to time. For me, blogging is that break. I get to research things and catch up on others’ blogs.
2. Your happiness is just as important as anyone else’s. As a mom, we forget that aside from making everyone feel comfortable, there’s someone very important we may be forgetting about.
3. Live in the moment. Sometimes we forget that our family comes first, like when you’re itching to clean the house or get to the dishes and your child wants to play. Part of you will want to get the task(s) done and then pay attention to your child’s needs. If you’d take that 10-15 minutes to spend time with them, they’ll forever be grateful. I doubt they’ll care if there are crumbs on the floor, unless they’re crawling, then I’d be careful 😉
But you see, each day is just a wonderful reminder that family will always be family and the moments you get to spend with them matter more than a messy home. Besides, a messy home means it’s lived in, no? 😉
And now it’s time to clean up from yesterday’s shenanigans while the little one sleeps.