May 22nd, 2014

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blog 5 Ways to Avoid Mommy Burnout

By: Liberated Mommy, Diamonte Walker Raising kids is no joke. For those of us who do it, and want to do it well, burn out will come with the territory. Things like exhaustion, grumpiness and the desire to stick a fork in a socket will arise. But, no fear, here are 5 Brown Mommy tips to keep it under control before things get real.

1. Upgrade Your Vocabulary: Do you feel guilty if you don’t fulfill your kid’s every wish? If so, stop it. You’re a mother, not a genie. If you’ve fed them, taken them to dance class, karate, checked their homework – and  they’re still asking for something , it is totally ok to respond with things like: No, Not Now and Go Play.

2. Escape from Time to Time: You’re entitled to a break. If you don’t have anyone who can watch your kids, find a way to escape in the house. Don’t use down time to do an extra load of laundry or sew buttons; use it to read things like 50 Shades of Grey and watch Breaking Bad on Netflix. I don’t care how you get your break, just GET YOURS.

3. Set Limits: I do not buy into the fallacy I can do it all. I live by the philosophy I can do enough. Meaning, I can do enough, so you know you’re loved, wanted and cared for. I’m not looking for an award, so no need in me auditioning for Super Mom. Besides, I look awful in a cape. My kids know they get one activity a season. This way, I’m not overextended and I can catch all my favorite TV shows like Scandal. Priorities are important, right?

4. Hey, Nobody Touch This: When we become mothers, we share everything with our kids. It’s only fair we label something sacred and unequivocally ours. Once you lay claim to it, firmly instruct nobody to touch it. This could be a food item,  a wash rag, anything – it doesn’t matter. You just need that one thing to call you’re own. Think about it. We start out loaning our bodies hosts for 9 months and we don’t ever really get that back, do we? We’re owed this one thing.

5. Keep Your Appearance Up: Nothing gets you down worse than looking in the mirror and wondering how the heck you got pregnant with the kids in the first place. When I look good, I feel good. Take those extra few minutes in the morning to style your hair and do your make up. Always keep a great pair of jeans in your wardrobe. Maternity jeans don’t count. If you don’t feel like losing 5 pounds, invest in shapewear and keep it moving.

As Moms we may go through hell, but there’s no rule that says we have to look like it.

If you have more tips funny tips, tweet them to us @brownmommys or leave them in the comments below.

Posted by Mommy Walker