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When I Woke Up This Morning, All I Wanted To Do Was Go Back To Bed

  • 3  Minute Read
Mom with baby sitting on couch
Bricolage/Shutterstock.com

Today, I failed at being a good mom. 

My kids ate cupcakes and Sprite for breakfast.

They watched well over the recommended two hours of TV.

They ate fast food for lunch . . . and dinner.

They wore their PJs all day and slept in them, stains and all.

They did not play outside; I am not even sure if they ever left the couch.

RELATED: I Failed as a Mom Today and I May Fail Again Tomorrow, But I’ll Keep on Trying

They didn’t do anything educational—they didn’t read, didn’t play any games.

They went to bed without baths, or brushing teeth, or bedtime prayers.

Today, it was not my best day. It is not going to win any parenting awards. I won’t write it down in my children’s scrapbooks.

And that is OK.

When I woke up this morning, all I wanted to do was go back to bed. If I am honest, I didn’t feel like being a mom today. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, personal space, or general privacy, but I was physically and emotionally exhausted. It seemed more than I could handle to get out of the bed, caring for anyone other than myself. But, because mommas don’t get sick days, I prayed that God would give me the strength to get through the day, along with extended naps and early bedtimes.

RELATED: To the Overwhelmed Mom Who Feels Like She’s Failing

Tucking my daughters into bed, my youngest leaned over and whispered, “I had the best day.”  

“Yeah, I think we should have a day like this every day,” my oldest chimed in.

What? They thought today was a good day?

As I replayed the events of the day, I tried to see it through my daughters’ eyes:

Breakfast was a picnic on the back porch, with a mom not stressed about someone spilling their juice.

We snuggled on the couch, with a mom who was not distracted by her to-do list.

RELATED: I Hope I Loved You Enough Today

We played barbies, without a mom checking her watch because she needed to clean the kitchen.

There were no battles over clothes or a grumpy mom due to the excessive number of wardrobe changes.

Today mom wasn’t too busy to build a fort and play with me.

Tonight mom tucked us in and stayed until we fell asleep.

The reality is that every day can’t be filled with junk food, mindless entertainment, lingering cuddles, and a disregard for our to-do lists. But, when we have an opportunity to take a break from the normal, don’t feel guilty, shame, or say the day was a failure. Instead, choose to change your perspective because momma, your bad day, could be your child’s best day.

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Articles by Laura Bailey

Laura Bailey

Laura Bailey is a wife and mom of three young girls. You can find her drinking cold coffee, playing barbies, and trying to figure out a way for the laundry to fold itself. She writes with honesty and humor on her blog, www.LauraRBailey.com

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