Frazzled & Frustrated :: #MomLife Uncovered

You know that hashtag moms love to use when posting cute pictures of the things their kids do? You know the one. #MomLife. Just like most things on social media, I think #MomLife is a little deceiving. It seems like #MomLife is used to poke fun at the idea that your life changes as a mom. Kids gave their Barbies a bath in the toilet? #MomLife. You’re eating your kids’ leftover McNuggets for dinner? #LOL #MomLife.

Let’s be real, though. #MomLife is really just our passive-aggressive way of giving up and rolling with the punches. #MomLife is really just Mom Code for “I’m acting like this is cute, but really I’m losing my mind.” Every mom out there knows it. And every mom out there can relate. It’s become our Katniss Everdeen three-fingered salute, if you will.

I don’t remember the last time in the past 5 years that I felt like I had my life together. I can’t remember the last time the stars aligned for me and all was right and calm. I can barely remember what I ate yesterday. As a matter of fact, if we’re being honest, I was 3 days late submitting this post, because I forgot and can’t keep up with anything anymore. I’ve never been an organized, systematic person. I have twin girls, and and now that I’m pregnant again and battling the aches and pains and exhaustion, I find myself more and more upset with my inability to “keep up.” I feel so frustrated and overwhelmed at times that it’s easier to just fall asleep and succumb to depression than to figure out a plan to work out all the stresses in my life.

#MomLife.

Currently, my kitchen table, couch, at least four chairs in my home, and two beds are covered in laundry. It’s clean. It’s wrinkled. I dig through it every morning desperately trying to find an outfit for myself and my children to wear. I feel victorious when I find a clean pair of panties at the “bottom of the barrel.” I am just too tired to fold and put it away. It’s frustrating, and I’m frazzled. But I also know I’m not the only mom who has a nearly impossible time battling Laundry Mountain. I think a lot of my problem {and a problem the vast majority of us have} is that I’m afraid to ask for help.

#MomLife.

I expect my husband to know exactly what I need him to do when in reality, I know he doesn’t. He takes the trash out, he occasionally does dishes, and he walks our dogs three times a day. I know he’s doing the best he can. The reality is, though, that he needs guidance on how to help me, and it truly is my fault that I expect him to just know what I need. Men need lists. Instead, we expect them to read our minds, and when they don’t succeed at being psychics, we get annoyed with them.

#DadLife.

There’s a sense of embarrassment or shame in not being able to get everything done on our own. I think most women feel this way. We become ashamed that we’re not able to be June Cleaver, and we believe that everyone else is succeeding where we’re failing. I work a full-time job and the hours spent at home are limited. I see other moms working full-time jobs and they have neat homes and perfectly fashioned children. I’m over here struggling to get my kids’ hair brushed every morning and find matching pairs of socks! How do the other moms do it?! You know, I’m really beginning to question you June Cleavers of the world. You don’t really have it all together, do you? It’s all a façade, isn’t it?

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

#MomLife.

I wish I was writing this post to say that I have figured out a solution and have a tactical approach to share with everyone, but I don’t. The truth is, I just like knowing that we’re all living the #MomLife, and it’s not as cute as we all pretend it is.

Sometimes we just all need to be reminded that there are other moms like us out there who are struggling; we are not alone in our chaos.

#MomLife.