Sandcastles and Dance Parties…

Seven years, 84 months, 2,555 days, 61,320 hours, 3,679,200 minutes and 220,752,000 seconds – this is exactly how long I have been a mother (but who’s counting?). With a resume like this, I should have all the confidence in the world when it comes to my role as “mother”. Yet every day I question myself, my decisions, and my impact on the little humans that rely on me. If your resume included this robust experience, you would have all the confidence in the world going into any job interview. However, three kiddos later I still constantly struggle with how I fulfill my role as mommy. That said, I thought I would share with you what I do know. So, three kids later and this is what I have learned…

The minute you think you have it figured out, you don’t. From sleep training to potty training, it is not created equal and you literally start from square one each time. Experience means absolutely nothing.

The more kids you have the more support you need. The phrase “it takes a village” takes on a whole new meaning. Build that village and don’t stop until it becomes a town or a city.

Find joy in the simple things all around you. Blowing bubbles, chasing waves, playing make-believe, building sandcastles, you get the idea. Take a page from our little ones and embrace the simple pleasures in life. It doesn’t take much to excite our kiddos – just be present and you’ll be surprised what special moments you can create with your children. So, put your phone down and let’s make some memories.

You try to rush through the hard stages while basking in the fun, sweet stages.  I think we pretty much skipped the high chair phase with my second child and I recently found myself impatiently waiting for my third child to develop enough hand-eye coordination to find his binkies in his crib each night. On the other hand, it has been especially hard to move away from rocking the boys to sleep each night and having them in their own beds. That transition has been bittersweet.

You can teach your children unconditional love. I didn’t think this was possible, but I have witnessed it firsthand with the way my two older boys love on their baby brother. My heart explodes every morning when I hear the boys greet the baby with so much love and adoration. There was a time I worried about how their lives might be negatively impacted with the addition of Baby O, but was I completely wrong. They are head over heels in love with their brother and I’ve never been more proud of these little men. Remember…our littles are always watching and mimic our behaviors. 

Find your people; build your village. The community we build is more important than ever. The relationships and trust we build with one another will help carry us through our day-to-day. Identify your people and appreciate them.

I believe in personal development more than ever. A podcast, a book, an intellectual conversation. Whatever the means, better yourself mama. You are worth it.

Never underestimate the power of music or a dance party. It’s a game changer.  Between dinner time and showers, we have a family dance party that it is literally one of my favorite parts of the day. The boys each select a song from our DJ, Alexa, and the dancing and giggles begin. It doesn’t matter how crazy the day was, at this moment everything feels perfect. 

Lastly, you will never stop worrying, you will not stop thinking you can do better, you will never stop judging yourself. Try to find the peace within yourself and accept who you are, Mama. The rest will follow.