When you are just too tired to carry on…

Last week Finn got ear infections and a respiratory infection. He was inconsolable at times, up tons in the night, and only wanted to be held. At times I thought I was just too tired to even get out of bed. But here’s the thing. I also have an active four year old who wants to play all the time and also needs attention. I can’t just lay in bed watching Netflix all day long. So, I figured out a couple things that helped me wake up and get into “mom mode” every day.

  1. Wake up and immediately take a shower. On the days I shower and get ready for the day (even if it’s just to throw on a clean set of sweats) it helps me feel so much better!
  2. Drink tons of water and a big breakfast.
  3. Make your bed. Not only will it make you get out of bed physically, you’ll feel like you accomplished something and won’t want to mess it up by getting back in.
  4. Going along with number four, accomplish a couple things off of your to-do list so at the end of the day you feel like you actually did something. I mean, we tend for our kids all day long and that’s a huge chore in itself. But by accomplishing something like vacuuming or emptying and loading the dishwasher, then you’ll have some physical evidence of your work!
  5. Get down and play with your kids. Once you start to get out of your rut of laying around and being lazy, you just feel better. Even if it’s just for ten minutes!
  6. Drink a diet coke, duh.
  7. Get up when your husband gets up. It probably varies from family to family, but TJ wakes up a little earlier than the kids to get ready for work, but always has about twenty minutes of extra time to eat breakfast and such. This morning I had him take the kids downstairs for breakfast while I showered. Usually, I just lay in bed and savor those final moments of sleep, but then I don’t have time for a shower and I feel gross all day. So, use the time your husband is home wisely!
  8. Pray, pray, pray! I’m so terrible at saying my morning prayers. Nighttime I’ve got down. But usually I wake up to Eva by my side with so much energy, asking for breakfast, and Finny Babe begging to nurse. Well, this morning when I got in the shower and the kids were downstairs, I actually used that time to ponder and pray. I prayed for patience, and most importantly, the energy I needed to be a good mom for the day! It may not be as good as praying down on my knees as soon as I wake up, but at least I got an uninterrupted prayer in!
  9. Ask for help and set up a schedule. If you have family around, ask them to help tend your kids. About once a week, we crash at my in-laws help for a little break. The help is so great and I have a chance to recharge physically and mentally. It also helps to set up play dates and co-ops so you can have something fun for your kids to do and possibly take a nap if they’re at someone else’s house.
  10. When all else fails, when your house is a wreck, you watched a whole season of Sophia the First, and the kids just ate cereal all day (this never happens in my house…….), tell yourself you’ll do better tomorrow. Sometimes you’ve got to give yourself a break!

 

2 replies
  1. Nicole Elliott
    Nicole Elliott says:

    Poor mommy! Those times are always so rough!! Love your motivation items though, they’re a lot of the same ones I’ve used myself over the years! It sounds like you’re doing an amazing job!

    Reply

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