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Mom needs a nap

Or a shower. Or 5 minutes of alone time.

If you’re like me, you’ve had to go straight to screen time for you kids if you want any of the above. If you don’t, disasters strike, like this:

But then there’re the apocalyptic fits they throw when it’s time to the TV off. And every time you look at Facebook there’s another study telling us we are destroying our kids brains with screens, so there’s also a load of guilt.

Is the shower even worth the fight and guilt?

Short answer: YES!! It is worth it. And so is the nap! Those are the little things that can fill our mental/emotional cup. They can provide moments of peace, free from distraction where we can hear the Spirit and our minds can just rest.

If we are constantly running, helping and fixing others, our own minds struggle and one of the ways our minds respond to that neglect is depression and despair. Just like our children: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. And just like the rest of our bodies, where there is pain we tend to fix it.

So, we need rest. Drop the guilt. A little bit of screen time, or a lot a bit, won’t harm our kids as much as an absent mother will harm them. Get well. Be present! And they will be just fine.

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Legos

Today I spent 2.5 hours building this LEGO treehouse. WHILE nursing!

In the beginning, is was internally rolling my eyes, having a bad attitude because:
1- I knew their dad would freak out if we didn’t follow the instructions*
2- There were WAAAY too many unnecessary tiny pieces (I CANNOT overstate this)
and 3- The finished product was only going to last .5 seconds.

Fast forward and hour. I was in. to. it. Each step and each page turn was a triumph!! I was SO EXCITED to get to the next step and felt a sense of accomplishment and rightness every time.

And for sure, there were WAAAAY too many unnecessary tiny pieces and the finished product did not stay the same for very long, but I will tell you this: that LEGO treehouse and accompanying pieces was played with for HOURS. And I was had become a master architect.

I would consider this a win!

*Let it be noted: I NEVER followed any instructions playing legos as a child. I rarely follow recipes to this day. Coincidence?

If you’d like to spend your own 2.5 hours feeling successful and having something at the end that will buy you some great time, find the treehouse here!