There are things I love about being a mom, and some things that are so overstimulating!
Being SO loved by tiny people & pets is sweet, and I prefer that want for direct connection over the distant, screen-absorbed state so many teens & adults enter… But a break, and personal space is always nice. I struggle with setting boundaries that my kiddo takes seriously. “No”, “not now”, “please stop”, “I need some space.” never seem to work in my calm voice. But when I pull out my Mom Voice™ she gets all sad & mad, and cooling her down takes all the time that was allotted to what was meant to be fun & relaxing. I look forward to the day where she can do it alongside me.

I wish there was an easy way to teach them “I love you- but I also love my personal space, quiet and focus. ” Self-care isn’t something easy to carve out for ourselves in this modern world, but is still so important. I so appreciate my fellow parent friends & family who’ve swapped childcare, helping take off some of that weight.