They’ll Remember the Fun, Not the Failures

“Motherhood is a balancing act.” 

I hear it all of the time. I can see how it’s such an easy thing to say and believe. Motherhood is made up of about a trillion things, big and small, and demanding your attention all of the time. But man, if motherhood is a balancing act my scale must have broken a long time ago. 

Go to work. 

Clean the house. 

Cook dinner. 

Do all of the shopping. 

Wash and (at some point in my life) put away the laundry. 

Tackle bath time. 

See to it that the toddler eats more than a couple hundred packs of gummies a day. 

Find time to play dinosaurs, trucks, and hide ‘n seek. 

That’s just some my list and I get to rinse, wash, and repeat almost every day. Not to mention I get to do it all while the baby is crying if I’m not holding him and the toddler is constantly asking for things he doesn’t actually want. On top of everything else I have to find time to bathe, brush my teeth, and use the bathroom (although I can guarantee that I won’t be alone). That’s my list, but it doesn’t always happen like that. 

Most days it’s more like go to work, come home and throw something from the freezer into the oven for dinner, and watch the toddler destroy the house. We play and laugh and dance to Trolls. When bedtime is (finally) getting close I typically pick up just enough toys so that there’s a clear path through the living room, give the boys a quick bath, and snuggle them until they fall asleep so I can binge watch trashy TV. 

The dishes don’t always get done. 

The house doesn’t always get picked up. 

The laundry may or may not be overflowing. 

They won’t remember those things, though.

My boys won’t remember that some nights Mama didn’t finish cleaning the house. They won’t remember that the laundry stays in the basket a little longer than it should. They won’t remember that our home wasn’t like walking into a Better Homes & Gardens magazine at all times. 

They’ll remember the playing. 

They’ll remember the snuggles. 

They’ll remember the time I gave to them, instead of to the chores.

I’m not great at balancing. I’m good at lists, though, and my kids are always at the top of all of mine. For me, motherhood isn’t a balancing act. Motherhood isn’t about making sure everything evens out. Motherhood is about priorities. I know that it’s all important, but the dishes can wait. My babies won’t.

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Articles by Shelbie Farmer

Shelbie Farmer

I’m a full time bookkeeper, but my favorite “job” is being mama to my sons. I have a love for all things personalized, early morning cuddles, and way too many sweets. Writing is my favorite way to talk about how much I love motherhood and my hope is that the things I write will resonate with other moms.