Mom-Sanity – 5 Things You Need to Be Doing

As a mom of two with another on the way, I often feel one toddler tantrum away from the crazy house. Over the last 3 years of mommyhood I’ve had to find ways to maintain my mom-sanity. Some of my favorite ways might be super obvious, but the key is to be intentional with self-care. Otherwise, mommyhood takes over and we end up thinking only of our kids which leads to Mom-insanity. So here are the things you need to be doing to keep at least a portion of your sanity alive.

1. Make time to do something you loved before you had kids.
   Whether that be reading, another creative outlet, or meeting a friend for coffee. It’s SO worth hiring a sitter or asking a family member to help, if it means you can get an hour or two to yourself. My personal fav, which doesn’t happen often, is solo shopping. It’s amazing how quiet a busy store feels sans children. On an even more practical level, finding time to catch up on Grey’s Anatomy is also a major win that reminds me I’m a grown up and not just a toddler herder.
2. Get out of the house with your kids.
   But seriously, you will all feel better walking through target instead of being cooped up in your house ALL day. Even just seeing other grown ups can help remind you that you were once part of normal society that didn’t involve chicken nuggets and ABCs.  My area has had an abundance of indoor playgrounds popping up and I couldn’t be a bigger fan. It is so nice to have a contained space for them to play and learn, where they can’t run away- unlike the mall playground or the park – where chasing two toddlers with a pregnant belly becomes nearly impossible.
3. Find an activity you actually ENJOY doing with your kids.
   Do you love to sing and dance? Teach your kids your favorite song! Do you love art or the outdoors? Do it WITH your kids. Not every kids activity will be enjoyable, especially on repeat, but finding something you enjoy will help you and your kids love spending time together and make you feel less like your living in a total nut-house. Lately we’ve been playing a lot of hide & seek. While it seems silly, it’s actually been so entertaining, especially as my 1 year old starts to “get it.” The way he pops up and says, “boo” just kills me and who can resist the extreme giggles of a 3 year old hiding under his favorite blanky? I mean seriously! 
4. Date night.
   Hire a babysitter, put the kids to bed early, do what you have to do to make time to connect with your partner/spouse. Staying connected to your spouse when you have littles can be a huge challenge. Make this a priority- your sanity will thank you. We are not always the best at this one, but  we always prioritize time with each other. Even if it’s just a catch up convo after we put the kids to bed, it matters. Our connection matters and we can always tell when we’ve let that slip on our priorities because life- but we always talk through it and come back to connection- because love. 
5. NAPS.
   But seriously, do whatever it frikin takes to make sure your kids get naps! If they’re older, make sure they have an hour or two of quiet time. This will give you a little bit of time to yourself to recharge, to clean, do whatever you need to do in order to stay sane. I was fortunate enough to get my boys on the same nap schedule during my first trimester, which meant naps for mommy too!  I’ll be lucky if I get even  one of them to nap lately, but I’m not minding the early bedtime so there’s that.

So cheers to all the moms out there just trying to stay sane one day at a time. I promise you can do it! For more keep cool mom tips, be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any golden nuggets!