Using Our Feeling Bodies To Guide Our Mothering..

Our day started out slow. I love this kind of day. We have things we need to accomplish, but time is not pressing because we have no where else to be but home, together. The weight on my shoulders feels light and I can breathe into the moments of just staring at my children’s hands, or faces, or listening to them giggle or fight (haha) and not have to rush to get somewhere to do anything. 

The biggest challenge we have been facing with parenting lately seems to land on finding a confidence on how to parent while feeling overwhelmed ourselves. Overwhelmed from worry, overwhelmed from trying to manage 4 other humans needs as well as homeschool, make meals, clean up and whatever other tasks are lurking around the corner. The best way to go in our experience has always been to just STOP. 

As soon as that feeling of overwhelm and frustration come in, just pause. Have the whole family pause if necessary too. 

Today, for example, my husband needed to take a phone call. The kids were already engaged in their after breakfast wrestle extravaganza when the call came in. I was engaged in a tedious task of  trying to convert an audio file for our upcoming dance recital into an MP3 on a program I wasn’t familiar with and I was meeting bump after bump when the call came in. My husband patiently asked the children to quiet down so he could take the call, while moving into the garage as well, but after 3 patient asks, they noise wasn’t lessening. We live in a very humble but blessed home and noise seems to travel quick and fast through our walls and vents, haha! 

At this point I could feel my body tightening and the overwhelm creeping in. The kids were loud, I was trying to complete a task that I had put off for too long, and my husband’s need for a moment of quiet hadn’t been met yet. I took a deep breath, told the kids that I had heard Daddy ask them to quiet down and that I could tell that they needed help to do so. I had them all sit on the couch and look at a book for 15 minutes. We all just stopped. 

I didn’t let my overwhelm make irrational decisions for me. I facilitated the immediate need for my husband and once the kids were quiet I finished my task and our day carried on, smooth as can be. Except for when there were 20 more bumps, but then I remembered how it felt when I took the time to STOP!

Be soft with yourselves mamas! We don’t have to be perfect. We just have to keep trying!

Xoxo

Marlana