But I think I'm recovering, slowly but surely. Haha.
The funny thing about trips for me is that I always learn something. Sometimes it's something to apply to my walk with God. Sometimes it's something practical (on one trip I learned how awesome those sponges with the soap in the handle are! Seriously. Awesome.), and sometimes it's completely random.
Here are some things that 35 days on the road and adventuring around the country taught me about mommy-hood, especially as a SAHM.
1. You need to get out of the house. I don't care what your excuse is, or what mine is. Yes, gas is expensive, but hermit-hood isn't healthy for anyone.
2. Pursue things you love. I want my boys to know that I love being a mom. I also want them to know (and want to remind myself!) that I love to go hiking and kayaking, and explore new places. Sometimes I think we get so focused making our houses perfect (haha. ha.) and thinking of all the ways we don't measure up and should do "better" that we forget to have fun. That makes me sad and I'm changing it.
3. It's possible to worry about your kids too much. I figure typing it out is the first step--I'm admitting it, right? Remember our childhood when we rode our bikes till the streetlights came on? Yeah, it turns out that wasn't the most fun part of mine. I learned from my parents while we were in Alaska that they let me go cross-country skiing with the neighbor kids (who were a few years older than I was, but under 10). in the woods behind our house. In Alaska. (Bears, moose, anyone?). I was four. I'm not saying we have to let our kids do those things...But really, some of us (me included!) need to learn to let go a little. Let them have fun.
4. Enjoy your kids. Yes, they need to be fed. And bathed. And kept healthy. But let's worry less about making sure we create some version of perfection for them, stop stressing over whether or not they can count to 100 by 3, and enjoy playing with them sometimes.
5. Relax. I wanted to type "Let it Go" but worried you'd get the song stuck in your head and never forgive me. Oh, wait...Hahaha. Seriously, I think SAHMs as a group are some of the most stressed people I know. Consider it a confession if you aren't one and didn't know that. From the ones I know? I think it's kind of true. We stress about money, almost always, because if we are at home, that means there's less money. (Unless your husband has some crazy high paying job and then just don't tell the rest of us so we won't be jealous, okay?) We stress about raising our kids--when to step in when siblings are fighting--whether we are doing raising them right as a whole, whether we should feed them more green beans--whether Chick-fil-A really should be it's own food group...We stress about dinner (Like, should that be ready and planned before six pm...?). Let's quit. No more stressing. Just enjoy your life with your family, fellow SAHMs. I think that's what we need to hear today. Because it's what we so often forget, which is funny since that's the reason most of us chose to stay home anyway...
I'm still formulating other things I learned from the trip. I'm still accomplishing to-do lists that the drive inspired (like organizing my house, etc). But I think the things I learned about Mommyhood are things that needed to be shared. I hope one of these give you something to think about too. Have fun being Moms, Friends.
