Do you ever have those days where you’re tired, stressed out, and just don’t give a flying you-know-what anymore? It seems that I’ve had a lot of those days lately.
I used to love mentally checking out for hours on Pinterest during days like these. Now I’m just annoyed. I’m constantly bombarded with posts filled with unrealistic homemaking standards by self-proclaimed “mother-of-the-year” award recipients.
Posts like these used to leave me feeling like I was a terrible mom and wife because I wasn’t running my household or parenting my children like they say I should be.
There is a serious need for more truth bombs in the land of Pinterest. Us moms already have enough pressure and stress to deal with as it is. We certainly don’t need anyone else feeding our already guilt-filled hearts with more crap.
Confessions of a Stressed Out Mom
My house generally looks like an atomic bomb has exploded. Usually, have no idea what I’m making for dinner, and the desire to go grocery shopping is basically nonexistent.
I’ve been wearing the same shirt for 3 days now, and it’s hard enough to find time to pee alone, let alone take a shower.
Of course, these days are usually the days that my husband has to work late, and the children are running around like miniature lunatics.
This is my reality, and probably the reality of many of us stressed out moms. Life is not Pinterest perfect!
The moms of the world need to know that they are not alone. We’re all a bunch of hot messes that’s one slammed door away from a mental breakdown. We need more real life to relate to, and we need to not be ashamed of it.
That being said, here is my contribution to the problem. May I present to you, my confessions of a stressed out mom.
Please Excuse the Mess… I Gave up Cleaning
You’ve seen that meme floating around the internet. It says something about how trying to keep your house clean while having kids is like trying to brush your teeth while eating Oreos. Pointless. That could not be more accurate.
The living room and bedrooms here basically look like a war-zone 24-7. I would give up on this pipe dream of having a clean home for more than 5 minutes but my anxiety won’t have it.
Sadly, I do not own a dishwasher (apartment life for the win!). This means most of our meals are consumed off of paper plates. I refuse to spend eleven-hundred hours of my day slaving in front of the kitchen sink while hand washing dishes.
“Aint nobody got time for that.”
My stove top and kitchen table is always a mess. I swear to you I will clean it til it sparkles and before I can finish blinking – the mess has magically re-appeared.
I don’t really know how my stove top is always a mess considering I rarely cook anything anymore.
Seriously, if it can’t be dumped into the crock pot while I’m brewing my coffee in the morning, or nuked in the microwave for a couple of minutes, I have no desire to make it.
Speaking of dinner…
These People Have to Eat Again?!
I’m so done with the whole “what do you want for dinner?” game in this house. Actually, I’m sick of food period. actually.
Do you want to know what’s for dinner tonight? Cereal. Again. Deal with it.
Ramen noodles, frozen pizza, and boxed macaroni and cheese are a staple in this house. I’m also a fan of the $1.99 Happy Meal Tuesdays at our Local McDonalds.
At this point, I really don’t care what anyone else thinks about it either.
Don’t even get me started on grocery shopping, either. These days trying to make my way through a grocery store without running down everyone in my path with the shopping cart is like an Olympic game.
Not only that but then you have to come home and try to find somewhere to actually store the food you’ve just bought. Which is a miracle considering before I left my children swore up and down that there was “nothing to eat in this house”.
Personal Hygiene? Ha!
I should take out stock in dry shampoo. Seriously, though, when do people have time to actually shower?!
Even if I could find a free moment in my life, the single bathroom in this tiny apartment is always occupied by some other human who lives here. Guess what – it’s not me!
I’ve resulted to showering at 2 am when everyone else is asleep. Who needs sleep anyway?
Sleep is for the weak.
Hobbies Schmobbies
Do you know what my hobby is? Decorating my daily planner and long romantic strolls down the aisles of Michaels.
Apparently, the only way I can actually have a hobby these days is to somehow incorporate it into another necessary daily task. Otherwise, the world will seemingly come crashing down around me in a fiery blaze.
Of course, it’s impossible to have a hobby that you don’t have to somehow share with your children. Yep, each of my girls have their own planners, and I have to whisper when I say I’m going to Michaels or one of them would hear me
Blessed and Stressed
Of course, I know that I am blessed beyond measure. My children and my husband is my world. I may live a life that is sometimes full of chaos, but that chaos is part of a life I adore and wouldn’t change for anything. That chaos is my bliss.
Sometimes, though, a mom needs to vent and get these frustrations off of her chest. It doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate our loved ones or the material items we are blessed to own. It simply means sometimes we get tired and that’s okay.
Life isn’t Pinterest perfect. Real life is chaotic, stressful, and often times messy.
That is what the world needs to hear more about.
It’s Your Turn!
I’m not alone here. I know there are other moms out there who is just as tired and stressed out as I am. Deep down I know you have some confessions of your own that you’re dying to get off of your chest too.
Share your own stressed out mom confessions in the comments below. Want to remain anonymous? Vent them out here through this anonymous form.
Don’t be shy – someone out there is also struggling with stress just like yours, and they need to know they are not alone!
If I have enough participation, I’ll compile all of the confessions somehow so I can share it with all of you!
In the meantime, hang in there mama, and go pour yourself a tall glass of wine.
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Anne says
January 21, 2017 at 7:45 pmSounds like your stress is really strong right now. I’m going to offer a prayer on your behalf that you’ll find joy and peace.
Jeanetta Roberts says
January 22, 2017 at 6:39 pmI have extreme anxiety disorder, so my stress is always strong lol
Ally says
January 21, 2017 at 8:25 pmI hear you. There are days when I would not anyone looking through my windows at the state of my house, or my behavior! Toddlers without pants, oops those are the breakfast dishes and it’s 5:30pm, welcome home honey I have no idea what’s for dinner. We kind of did school. I may have played a lot of Blossom Blast.
You do sound stressed beyond the norm for just a random difficult Thursday, though – your tone seems pretty angry and despairing, and no dishes/no cooking/not getting dressed sounds like how a friend described the time of her husband’s deployment, wherein she had four young kids and a bad case of depression (there were multiple stories of Cheez-its for dinner and she acquired the nickname “grumpy dwarf” from her tall older daughters). I hope this is a hard week, and not your status quo, not because it’s “unacceptable housekeeping” – we do what we gotta do! – but for your sake! Maybe something can be shifted around? I have no idea how I grocery shopped without at least planning dinners, maybe a loose meal plan would help in that area at least?
Jeanetta Roberts says
January 22, 2017 at 6:38 pmI have an extreme anxiety disorder. It rears its ugly head from here to there 😉
Millie says
January 26, 2017 at 11:57 pmTaking care of my self (hair, nails, nice clothes, etc
) has definitely been a challenge!
Jeanetta Roberts says
February 1, 2017 at 7:02 pmthe struggle is real, huh??
Erika Grenko says
March 17, 2017 at 10:05 amI am a mom of two. My son is almost 4 and my daughter is almost 7. I am a second grade teacher and have recently gone back to school for a second master’s degree to further my career. My husband works full time at a grocery store and is a high school umpire on the weekend and some weekdays. Life gets really crazy and stressful! There is always a baskets or three of laundry to wash fold and maybe put away. And my sink always had one or two or twenty dishes in it. And I too often feed my kids cereal or boxed meals for dinner. I find that I have to make the choice feed my kids a good meal that they won’t eat and will complain about or something easy and get some studying or grading done. Sadly studying and grading papers wins most nights. I also have to fight depression every day and believe it is a choice to fight it and a hard one! The only thing that keeps me going everyday is a good cup of Joe and prayer. Lots and lots of prayer. I’m also lucky to have a strong group of friends that are stressed out mom’s and believers of Christ like me. Hang in there dear one. God had given us lots of grace and it’s time we give ourselves some too. Our kids aren’t going to remember how clean we kept the house or how great the meals were we made them but instead they’ll remember us just being there. Providing for them, loving them, kissing their owies and telling them how wonderful God made them. So as I sit this morning drinking coffee and looking at my pile of laundry and dirty dishes I hold my son and watch bubble guppies. Maybe I’ll even take him and his sister to the park. The laundry and dishes will still be there tomorrow after all but my 4 and 7 year old won’t stay 4 and 7 long.
Jenn Roberts says
March 20, 2017 at 8:41 pmI relate with this so much! I’m so glad I’m not alone int he world 🙂 Thanks for your encouraging comment! I know others will be grateful to read that as well!
Ally says
April 7, 2017 at 9:01 amSome days the kids have cereal for dinner. Some days I let my daughter play Minecraft a little longer so I can have some peace. Some days I don’t get much of anything done because I get so burnt out. No one is a super mom every day! #familyfriday
Jenn Roberts says
April 7, 2017 at 11:28 pmAmen to that!
June says
July 6, 2017 at 9:57 pmI love this. Thank you so much for writing it! I have four kids 7 and under, and sometimes I wonder why I can’t get my act together. And for those who said you sound a bit stressed for a regular Thursday, well, that sounds about like every other day in our house (MAYBE every third day, if Im lucky). Keep on keeping it real!
Jenn Roberts says
July 7, 2017 at 12:02 amThanks for your comment! Yeah.. there’s no “regular” days around here. It’s just a whole lot of chaos! That anxiety life though.. 😉
Jason says
November 30, 2018 at 8:20 amI had the same problem – the house looked like a mess. I guess that’s a life if you have kids. By the way, it’s the reality for many dads too. 🙂
Life really is not Pinterest perfect but it gets a lot easier when your kids grow up. Of course, there will be other problems but at least cleaning won’t be one of them. When my kids were 5-8, me and my wife we tried to find ways how to make our kids WANT to clean and we found one. We had like competitions – whoever cleaned his room faster got some kind of small present, like a small bag of cookies or a choice to decide what to watch on Saturdays evening. Now my kids do dishes and clean the house without telling them but we have an ultimatum – kids can clean their own room only when they want to. But the thing is that they are pretty tidy so they clean their room every week.. 😀
But yeah, good luck! 🙂 It will get easier!
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