Supermom In Training: Parenting is SO MUCH more than when we were kids

When I was a kid, birthday parties were as simple as some cupcakes and a game of Pin The Tail On The Donkey. There were no family calendars to keep track of all the school stuff, sports, appointments, and social gatherings. There weren’t umpteen “special days” in school for crazy hair, anti-bullying, etc. I really believe that parenting is a lot more work and organization than when I was a kid. I think our parents wouldn’t have put up with everything that it takes to be a parent today.

Plus, many of our moms were stay-at-home moms. They used their days to keep up with the childcare, cleaning, cooking, and errands. It’s funny because with today’s crazy schedules, it seems like we need stay-at-home moms more today than ever before. But we have to work. Most households need two working parents. And that just adds to the to-dos and stress big time.

Every few weeks I hit a wall and I’m just exhausted. My brain is mush. We take a day where we have cereal for dinner and I let the clean clothes sit in the dryer for two days. Because I need to recuperate.

I have one kid and being his mom is most defintiely a full-time job. I don’t know how parents of multiple kids do it.

I do what I can to stay on top of it all: I’m old-school so I have a paper agenda on my desk in my home office that’s filled with reminders, bills, and so on. We also have a big chalkboard calendar in our kitchen. My son’s hockey schedule is managed by an app. My son’s school communication is managed by another app. 

We are all doing our best, even though it might not feel like it all the time (when things get forgotten or fall through the cracks… or when we have cereal for dinner). And doing our best is all we can do to stay on top of things. So be kind to yourself, give yourself a pass when things “mess up,” and here’s another friendly reminder: you have clothes in the dryer.