All the Things

*I share this today … not for pity … but for my fellow moms, who could easily draft their own lists of ALL THE THINGS …

TO DO LIST

Keep the house “guest-ready”

Make sure you’re “presentable”

Straighten your hair

Put on some make up

Serve nutritious meals to your family – morning, noon, and night

Make your bed

Limit screen time

Read TO your kids

Respond to school “requests”

Fill out hot lunch forms

Make sure kids are “presentable”

Send hot lunch money … on time (don’t be one of THOSE moms … like me … who need a reminder to pay their bill)

Brush your teeth

Schedule play dates

Check in with your friends (if you have any)

Load the dishwasher

Let your kids “just play”

Clean the car

Drop a kid off at dance

Make sure your toddler is adequately stimulated

Wipe a bum

Read WITH your kids

Change a poopy diaper … because you “missed” the opportunity to take your toilet-training toddler to the potty

Be present

Pay an overdue bill

“Schedule” downtime

Spend time with your spouse

Brush the kids’ teeth

Take care of yourself

Exercise … daily

Tidy the kitchen

Pay a bill

Rest

Plan a vacation you won’t actually take

Spend time with friends

Plan your homeschool days

Do things you love

Keep toys organized

Recycle

No piles … keep on top of the clutter

Work full time

Hang out with your kids

Spend time outside … daily … even if it’s 40 below … it helps your kids build resilience … it teaches them to endure tough days and to not wait until conditions are “just right” …

Keep things “interesting” … always

Get to hockey

Pursue a passion

Savour your children

Do a craft with your kids … or play LEGO, even if you don’t feel like it

Help an overwhelmed kid navigate a disappointment

Order tights and hair pieces

Don’t let the laundry pile up

Nurture your marriage

Make the kids do chores

Stay organized

Get groceries

Eat well

Drink lots of water

Follow a dream (because if not now, when?)

Take your vitamins (and make sure the kids take theirs too)

Get a refusing-to-wear-clothes toddler dressed for the day

Mail some thank you cards

And a sympathy card

Spend time with grandparents

Teach your kids to pick up after themselves

Don’t forget … anything … ever

Purchase a birthday gift

Enjoy your kids

Set the table

Return library books

Maintain family traditions … maybe even create a few new ones

Get groceries … again

Keep your cool … always

Support a six-year-old packing her lunch

Prep the diaper bag for daycare

Give thanks

Sign the organizer

Buckle a squirmy toddler into her car seat

Clear the table

Improve the function of your home … constantly … there’s got to be a better way, right?

Get the mail

Practice spelling words for Friday’s test

Volunteer

Connect with your kids

Schedule cleaning tasks (knowing you’ll still NEVER actually be able to keep up), but the house needs to be “guest-ready,” right?

Give each of your kids some one-on-one time

Attend church

Count your blessings

Model an appropriate emotional response to one of life’s “hiccups” … like spilled milk in the car

Learn something new

Hire a cleaner, because you just can’t do it all

Get enough sleep

Put reminders in your phone that you’ll NEVER actually follow through with (and, of course, you’ll feel like a failure … every … dang … time)

Pay library fines (because you didn’t get those books returned on time … again)

Take every “tip,” “complaint,” or “suggestion” personally

Donate freely … and often

Change the sheets

Set up an Air BNB for your house in town that just doesn’t seem to be selling

Pay your cleaner, but feel guilty that you even need a cleaner

Prep for guests

Have nothing in your home that you don’t use or absolutely love

Teach compassion

Kindness

And table manners

Bath a baby

Make a snack

Clean up a snack

Attend parent watch week at dance (actually, FORGET to attend parent watch week at dance … and now you’re one of THOSE moms)

Sweep the floor

Vacuum

Pack for a trip

But leave the house spotless

And remember, don’t forget

Anything!

We MUST remember

ALL OF THE THINGS!

And we MUST DO

ALL OF THE THINGS!

PERFECTLY

and

JOYFULLY

All of the time!

Because that’s what motherhood is …

right?

Because that’s what everyone else is doing …

right?

Every day I feel like a failure, because I just can’t do ALL OF THE THINGS …

I battle feelings of inadequacy DAILY, as I strive for something UNATTAINABLE … PERFECTION!

And it makes me sick …

Because this is NO WAY to live …

Every day I feel like I am DROWNING … barely keeping my head above water … barely managing ALL OF THE THINGS …

I suspect there’s just

TOO MANY THINGS

but I just don’t know how to

HAVE and PROVIDE what’s BEST for everyone …

Without ALL OF THE THINGS!

Without “settling” …