As a first-time parent, life will seem a lot harder than it should be. Or at least learning to balance everything will feel like an on-going task.
The Trick To Balancing Is Teamwork
When I found out I was going to be a mom, I was excited yet nervous. I knew there would be a lot of responsibilities thrown my way, but I wasn’t 100% prepared for it. After all, who is. And when we added a furry son to the mix, he turned out to be the perfect baby trainer.
And while we await the arrival of our son Christian, I can’t stop going back and forth with whether or not Jeff and I are prepared. Yes, we we’re prepared in the past for Sebastian, nor Rocky, but this is another baby. And this time, I don’t have my parents to help.
But life has a funny way of working itself out, and Jeff and I are still learning how to balance everything thrown our way. To help prepare for our little guy’s arrival, we’re having my father fly down for a month or two. He was quite helpful when Sebastian was born and I had to return to work. This time, my father will be helping me with errands the last month of my pregnancy and caring for Sebastian while Jeff and I are at the hospital. I don’t want Sebastian missing school nor do I want to change his routine. He’s doing so well in his class and I’m so proud of his progress thus far. I can’t wait to see where life takes him.
Mommy Meltdown
One thing we forget as a parent is that it’s okay to go through emotions. If you need to sit in a corner and cry, go for it. But remember to dry those tears and think of the positives. Motherhood can be tough, and often times you question whether or not you’re doing what’s best for your family. The truth is, only you know what’s best for your family. Regardless of what anyone has to say. Of course, outside opinions can be helpful if they’re useful, but most of the time, people will aim to get under your skin. And it’s your decision whether or not to let them 😉
To help control my emotions, I often try to squeeze in “breakdowns”, which for me is breaking down my day.
Sometimes it feels as though I spend too much time on unnecessary things, like Instagram or Facebook, when I could be spending time with my boys. That’s when I shut off my phone and get back to what really matters — my family.
There’s always time to do something if you really want to accomplish it. And for this reason I often have to put my blog aside or an upcoming event because it takes away from other things in life, like family time. Although I have been searching for upcoming events to attend during the hours my son is at school, I have found a couple of family ones for the weekend.
Squeezing in naps during the time my son is away at school are essential. Yesterday was the first time I was able to not only relax, but actually close my eyes for a good hour or so. It felt refreshing, and more importantly, it gave me the energy to handle an active toddler that afternoon during his weekly sensory class.
So you see, I may not have it all figured out yet, but I’m finding my balance in everyday life, from the simple things like rest or beauty of teamwork. 🙂