I love my friend Laura.  Jesus, adoption, Noonday + essential oils have connected us [oh, ok and Voxer] and I appreciate her voice on this.  reading this brought me freedom – I found myself nodding my head and taking a deep breath of release.  I really hope and pray this posts allows you to take a deep breath and realize that YOU are who God made you to be.  He has uniquely gifted you and put all the love in your heart you need to pour out to your little people.  ok, I’ll stop and let Laura take over now… 

I’m convinced now more than ever that being a mom is not for the faint of heart. Having three children (Landon – 5, Charlotte – 4 and Aiden -2, and we’re in the adoption process!), there’s now no escaping the Mamahood reality. Whether I’m baking muffins, attempting to relax during their naptime or laying my head on my pillow at night, Mama is who I am, and what I do.

Whether you’re a work-outside-the-home Mama or a Mama who does her work within the walls of your house, being a Mom is the real. deal.

I’ve done both, and they both come with a unique set of challenges and joys. This current season of life has me at home, blogging, sorting endless loads of laundry and making countless†peanut butter and jellies.

While I don’t want to simply survive my days, sometimes, it sure feels that way. Get through. Make it ’til their bedtime. Hold onto whatever you can just a few minutes longer.†

I want to be a Mama who is thriving, and one who is rooted in the beauty and fullness of God, so much so that it spills over to my children.

But sometimes? Us Mama’s need to get through. I’m very imperfectly, falling-as-I-go, learning what it means to both survive†and thrive in this stage of life. Take a peek into my life as to what we do and how we trudge through, sometimes joyfully, other days agonizingly, this phase of Mamahood.

1. Give them space

Yep, I said it. I’ve been painfully aware of how much I hover over my kids – following them around the playground like a psycho over-protective parent at the playground, instead of just letting them go and explore. I believe that quality time with your kids is of utmost importance: they need to know that Mama there, that she cares and is available. But really? Parenting expectations for our generation is sometimes just way too cray. I don’t need super fancy Pinterest projects to keep my kids engaged the entire day. Good ol’ coloring books, the outdoors and cardboard boxes are still childhood superstars.

When I give my kids space to play, I’m allowing their creativity to flow, their imaginations to run wild, and ultimately, giving them a chance to develop into the person they were created to be. Giving my kids space also allows me a chance to breath and regroup. Parenting is hard,†y’all. Get in there, read that story, play that game. And then? Go sit your beautiful behind on a chair and read a book. Crank up the tunes while you fold that 180th load of laundry.

This has been†such†a work in progress for me. I want to be more of that 1970’s mom Jen Hatmaker talks about.

2. Have a change of scenery

This is honestly hard for us. We are a one car (mini-van) family and my husband takes it to work Monday thru Friday. THANK YOU JESUS we have an elementary school across the street with four different play areas. While we don’t have a lot of places we can go on foot, just getting outside in the fresh air, having the kids run around and Mama not staring at the sticky floors makes a HUGE difference. Maybe there’s a park, museum or play center (lookin’ at you, Chick-Fil-A, my love) you can retreat to. The Bass Pro shop has practically a free aquarium (okay, large fish tank) that can offer a good 30 minutes of†sanity entertainment.

3. Live out†your gifts

Wait, what? Isn’t this suppose to be a post about life as a stay at home mom…as in, kids stuff? Yes, exactly.

I’ve found that for me to be the best Mama possible, it means that I need to find an outlet for my gifts and passions. Writing, speaking and teaching really light my fire, so I make time for things like blogging, reading, being a volunteer youth leader, etc. The gifts and passions God has given you will be uniquely yours. How can you incorporate them into your life?

For me, I’ve talked to my husband about the importance of me living out these gifts, and I am utterly grateful that he cheers me on and supports me in doing so. When I can live into the person God has designed me to be, I thrive, and my kids thrive as a result. They get to see their Mama energized, more patient and have bucket-loads more grace for them. It’s when I’m cooped up at home, longing for some alone time, some make a difference in this world time, that I get snippy, irritable and totally on-edge.

If this is a whole new realm for you, consider ONE thing you could do to live into these gifts and passions God has placed on your heart. I promise you, it’ll make a world of difference for everyone in your home.

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What are your tips and tricks for surviving this Mama-life? I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!

Through Unspeakable Joy,

Laura

“Laura is a mama of three littles {and in the adoption process}, delighting in the Gospel of grace. Attempting to be genuine and raw, Laura seeks to find the humor in everyday life. She shares her journey through faith, motherhood and marriage at Life As A Loewen blog. Passionate about issues of social justice, and always up for a Motown dance party, Laura seeks to live with spirited intentionality. Check out her blog Life As A Loewen and follow her on Instagram!”