I Can’t Do It All

I cannot speak for everyone, but I feel that as a stay at home mom, wife, and student that there are not enough hours in the day. Every night I go to bed thinking about a million things. The never ending things on my to do list that I never even got to start. Between making meals, wiping butts, breastfeeding, cuddling and trying to get the baby to nap, wiping up messes, doing the dishes, feeding the animals, letting the dog in and out, constantly being asked for snacks and drinks (even after being told that they are too full to finish a meal), and tantrums I find that there is not a lot of time left in the day. Not enough time to do all the things I wanted to when the day began; technically before the day even began. I usually have a mental to do list that I want to accomplish the next day. The last week or so I have been making a to do list on a piece of paper. I have come to find that the only ones that get accomplished are the ones that I do everyday regardless, like the dishes.

I have begun to start beating myself up over the things that I cannot get done during the day. For instance, I have been working on my spring cleaning check list for two weeks now. It took me about 3 hours to do all the things on the list in the kitchen alone. By time my husband got home that day, you couldn’t even tell how much time I had spent in there. I have had the cleaning supplies in the bathroom for a week now. I did get a few of the items done, but thanks to our cat who refuses to drink from a bowl and people that don’t clean the toilet after each use you could not even tell that those things were done either. I don’t know about everyone else, but I like clean things. It makes me feel fresh and honestly, it makes me relaxed. Having everything in an uproar sort of makes me tick.

I have come to the realization that I cannot do it all. You know what though? That is perfectly okay! When I do find the time I do the things that I need to do, it just may not be as soon as I would have liked. I thought I can get this whole list done in a day, boy was I wrong there. BUT THAT IS OKAY!

There will always be a house to clean. There won’t always be little children who need help in the bathroom, who are begging for candy, and are in constant need of attention. I know one day I am going to miss those things. Even with a perfectly tidy house, I will miss it. So you know what? It is time to relax a little bit. Things will get done in time. In the meantime I am going to focus more on those moments with my kids. Not only being with them, but being present in my mind too. Quit worrying about the messes that can wait. In the end, I think I would rather them remember me more for spending time with them than with cleaners, sponges, and messes.

-Jenn