By Christy Marshall 
I’m angry. I feel like things never stop piling up. The laundry. The housework. The forms, homework and fundraisers. The bellies that need fed. My ever growing team needs (and deserves!) a solid and powerful leader.
Pressure! Everywhere!
The dog needs walked. The van needs cleaned. The friendships need watered. My inbox blows up. Texts that don’t get a text back. The rules on life can be so burdensome.
Don’t give them red dye or too much screen time. Keep them away from this app and that site. Make sure they never forget their folder or lunchbox. Get them to this place on time. Remember what color jersey for the game.
Oh and tend to your marriage because that ish will completely fall apart the moment you do not.
Oh, and make sure you’re getting time for self-care and rest in there or you’ll fall apart!
Don’t feed them fast food. Don’t scream at them because that will become their inner voice.
Oh, and make sure you are sleeping eight hours.
Then the early years. Don’t get an epidural. Cloth diapers + homemade baby food + don’t bottle feed because “breast is best” + don’t ever let them cry it out or they will feel emotionally abandoned as adults.
Yes, all of this angers me today.
Because everyone I talk to is barely making it and so incredibly stressed out.
Literally. Every. Single. Person. And they feel like they are alone.
Alone. Is. A. Lie.
I suck at laundry and you will not get much from us on fundraisers because I just. don’t. have. time (and I forget!). All three of my kids cried it out because my sleep was essential for them to have a stable and happy mama.
My kids sometimes forget their stuff and I bring it to them if I’m able to (and they say you shouldn’t so a lesson can be learned!). I think that’s ridiculous. I believe in grace. I choose different areas to teach my children responsibility like daily chores and saving half their money and so much more.
My kids never once wore cloth diapers and I tried to make baby food and realized quickly I’m not that mom. We did (and still do) really cool crafts and messy activities (that’s more my speed!).
And marriage. Ha! That’s been a constant ebb and flow of good, bad, greater than ever, worse-as it gets and steady willingness to choose each other over all the noise. We always course correct and come out better.
And while I believe in healthy sleep habits, I am over the idea that if you don’t get eight hours then your health is in jeopardy.
Damn you, rules.
Some of us have anxiety that plagues us in the middle of the night. Insomnia steals our rest. The last thing that person needs is to feel “unhealthy” in that moment.
And to the moms of babies . . . let’s get real. What is sleep?
And kudos to the one mom on the whole planet who never screams. I’d love to meet you! You’re probably bionic!
Everyone!!!
Just stop.
And pull into McDonald’s and take the night off from cooking.
Get yourself some fries!
This post originally appeared on Christy Quinn Marshall
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