“Mom Guilt.
I was wrapped up playing Barbie’s for about an hour. I don’t play every single day. Some days are too busy, some days are just too tiring, and some days I just plain don’t feel like it.
This day was different. I was DETERMINED to play. I set up my coffee nearby, I popped off my slippers, and I began giving each barbie their own unique voice. Of course that was interrupted by a very strong willed 5 year-old with “no, no, say THIS” directing my every play move. Giving in, I raised my white flag saying what she asks and partially telling her mommy can play how mommy wants to play! (Her teacher told me to do this when she tried to puppet me 🤣).. After an hour it was time to move on from Barbie’s. I felt bad after. Maybe I should’ve said what she told me to say, or played longer.
Here’s the thing, it never feels like ENOUGH, does it? 👉🏼
Playing dolls for an hour. Coloring for 30 minutes. Taking an afternoon walk.
Somehow we convince ourselves we didn’t do enough.
I could’ve played a little bit longer, but I didn’t.
I could’ve said yes to a dirty house, but I didn’t.
The truth is, it had been 2 days and it was starting to crunch under my heels in the kitchen as I walked across crumb ridden floors- avoiding cleaning as long as possible to focus on play, and learning, and art, and fun.
If I left the floors, the sticky counters, the dusty surfaces, for just one more day- it wouldn’t hurt anyone.
Except it would.
Truth be told I was this close from breaking down because my house felt like a disaster and I felt like a failure, never knowing when enough is enough.
Enough playtime, enough cleaning time, enough working time. You balance it all like your life depends on it but it never feels like it’s good enough.
We need to stop guilting ourselves though. We need to say enough IS enough. That half hour taking a walk and chatting, that hour of playing dolls or legos or whatever you engage in, that 20 minutes of arts & crafts. It is more than good enough..
& you know what she said before bed?
“Mommy, I LOVED playing dolls with you today”. ❤️
Instagram: @twodears
Leave a Reply