As my husband says, “you’re always tired.” My response is something along the lines of “I’m not ALWAYS tired.” But the truth is, I am. Between my full-time job, my small business side hustle, attempting to be a cool mom and the wife gig, well life is EXHAUSTING. We can just call this the tornadic, toddler, F5, storm season.
There are a few different ways I take shelter from the damage of the F5 toddlers and I hope you can try a few if not all to help defeat exhaustion, even if it’s just a few times a week!
Ready to make your life a tad bit easier? Here we go tips for the mother-hustler woman…
- WAKE UP EARLY – On a typical day, my girls wake up before seven o’clock in the morning. I absolutely feel miserable every single time I have to quickly wake up because my kid beat me to it. Waking up 30 minutes to an hour before them gives me time to shower, get dressed for the day, get some work in, start on breakfast or just have ME TIME (whatever that looks like for you). By the way I love sleep, so it’s hard; but when it happens I pat myself on the back.
- TAKE A COFFEE BREAK – Whether you’re a coffee or tea drinkin’ momma; always make time for something you love. I always have my cup of coffee in the morning and it makes me feel like I did something just for me. I know super simple, but it’s the little things, right?
- WASH THOSE DISHES – Can we all agree that waking up to dirty dishes sucks? I typically have milk-demanding children in the morning, so dirty sippy cups ruin my mornings. If there’s anything you do at night just get those dishes washed! Morning milky time and breakfast just became a lot easier.
- KEEP THE BACKPACK READY – I’m always on-the-go and it never fails that when the backpack isn’t ready to go it ends up taking me at least another 15 minutes before I can head out. It’s frustrating! Basically, I keep two bags at the door and one is always ready to pick up and go. I suggest diapers/pull-ups/undies, wipes, a second pair of clothing, pre-packed snack, bottled water. DONE.
- BE A SNACK QUEEN – We all know snacks can work miracles for cranky kids and moms. Keep some good snacks ready to go in the cupboard and/or fridge. My kids and I survive on snacks for busy days and in-between meals. Bonus Tip: I also have a peanut butter sandwich in the fridge for an emergency meal as needed. By emergency, I mean every day.
- HAVE BOOKS/TOYS AVAILABLE – In our world, there needs to be entertainment at every corner. I always leave two small toys in the backpack and have a variety of books that I keep in the car. If they ask for screen time, I refer them to the amazing books they can read.
- PLAN A DATE – Plan at least one date a month where you can have some good ol’ fun. Date night with the hubs or girlfriends can bring you back to life. You’re not a machine, you need time. Get that planner out right now and pick your date. I’m serious, you need it, you deserve it! Speaking of the planner, do you have one? If you don’t, get one! I have it everywhere I go and schedule everything in it. Helps keep me sane.
Drop a comment with your best mama survival tip!
The morning time is my only time! Someone told me to dig into God’s word in the morning, so I do. I also plan what I want to read the night before. It’s a really great motivator to get up!