I've spent countless hours of my life looking at other mothers blog pages. Whether it be about parenting, meal plans, recipes, potty training, childhood illnesses. You name it I've probably looked it up. As I've been thinking about what to write and what it is that sets me apart from the rest, out of all the things I've looked up and read about there's one thing about every page that has been pretty consistent. The attitude. Every mom blog (for the most part) seems very cheery, upbeat and motivational. then it dawned on me. In short, that stuffs not real.
When your kids going on their second week of refusing to eat, you're not talking to them in calm gentle voices, or asking them nicely or giving them choices. You're yelling! You're at your whits end and ready to pull all your hair out! You're threatening to sell them on Amazon. That's the real! When you have done laundry for your kids and you have asked them nicely for days to put it away and you walk in their room and its spread out from one end to the other fully mixed with their dirty laundry. You aren't talking about new compromises or even discussing consequences. You're yelling again! You're ready to pull all their hair out. You're threatening to shove everything they own into a bag and throw it all in the dumpster. That's the real.
Motherhood is not all rainbows and butterflies people. Its rough, manual labor that's harder than any other job you will ever do in your life! So when I go to a blog page and I read a post about crafting with your toddler, I'm gonna see the truth. The truth where you spent far too much money to get your kid to glue a stick to a piece of paper and they were only interested for the first three minutes and quite literally would've been happier if you just gave them paper, glue and safety scissors and said "make me something pretty honey." Btw, I love crafts. I'm an artist actually. So no hate toward the crafty mom. Just the truth about our kids and the reality of their little attention spans (and let's be honest, our kids find empty boxes more fascinating than most toys).
I'm real and what I write about it the truth no matter how messy that may be. This is what truly sets me and my perspective apart from the mommy blogging masses. Nobody seems distressed, frustrated, broken even. Motivation is great. You wanna be upbeat, then more power to ya but there's more to that picture of a unicorn themed birthday party you created. So as beautiful as it is to see and learn how to recreate, its important to show the blood sweat and guaranteed tears that went into that.
I love my kids and I have a blast with them a lot of the time but there's a crap ton of days and moments that I'd prefer to lock myself in my closet just so I can get away from the crazy that lives in my house. Parenting is a blessing but being a parent can be that thing that breaks you harder and faster than anything you've ever done. It takes an extremely strong woman to be a mother. Not just someone who pushes a kid out but a woman who loves, cares for and nurtures their children. I know what it takes to be a mother. This doesn't mean I'm perfect or that I mom better than everyone else. I don't think anyone is a perfect mom no matter how many gift baskets you make for your kid's school carnival. You're no better than I am dropping my kids off in my robe, sunglasses covering my dark circles and my hair pulled back in a bun that may or may not be three days in with dry shampoo. I may not be running around slaying the day at 8 a.m. but that's because I've spent my morning getting 7 kids up, ready and out the door to school all while trying to tend to my 7 month old and my 3-year-old. Every single morning is a rough morning. It takes me more time and effort to get out the door than it takes you to put those decorative baskets together and that's just the cold hard truth. I tell my husband that I haven't gotten to sleep for the last 16 years and I'm freakin tired lol!! I'm a great mom. Carnival basket mom is a great mom too. We all just have the ability to show it in very different ways. She's no better nor am I.
Bottom line guys, if you are looking for the no filter #momming, Not Your Average Mama Bear is gonna become your resting place. I wanna hear from you. Tell me your stories. Show your own truth. Its invigorating!