The past two months have not been easy. I had the longest cold known to man (okay, I’m exaggerating, but it lasted about four weeks). My 9-month-old daughter had a cold that turned into three back-to-back ear infections, followed by hand-foot-and-mouth disease, followed by impetigo. My son vomited all over our kitchen rug and then, the next week, fell off a table and split his lip open, and then also came down with hand, foot and mouth. Our kitchen sink clogged up, a pipe burst at our house, we found out we need a new water heater, and my car completely died.
Easy problems? For sure. Could it be worse? Definitely. But like most moms, I’m tired. And like most moms, I mean it: I recently read that new parents face sleep deprivation for 6 years after a baby is born, and moms do more so than dads.
So, what can we do? Let’s stop scrolling through Instagram and judging one another. Let’s give one another a break.
The new mom you know? Bring her diapers and easy-to-eat snacks one day. It can be easy to forget to eat some of those early days.
That mom you know in your office who is constantly leaving early/coming in late due to family commitments but emailing at midnight? Cut her some slack and maybe see if you can take something off her plate.
The mom you know who is having a hard time? Buy her a coffee, and maybe bring her a pack of tissues on one of those days she may be feeling extra emotional/hormonal.
The single mom you know or mom whose partner is never around? Offer to watch her kids one day. Even if it’s just for an hour so she can shower in peace or grab a solo bite to eat.
The mom you know who seems to have it all together? She probably doesn’t. Check in on her — send her a text message and let her know you’re thinking about her. Sometimes that’s all someone needs to hear.
We’re all busy. We’re all tired. So let’s lift one another up. It’s the only way we’re all going to survive — and thrive — as moms.