To the mom that hates to clean

Yesterday was a tough day. The husband was out of town. My daughter had to be picked up from school. I got the pleasure of being the brunt of her crankiness all day long. Just another day in the life of a mom. 

Kicking holes in the walls is frowned upon, so I figured a little jog would do me good and got on the treadmill at 9 pm.

I hate cardio, by the way. But I hate feeling defeated by the day more.

After 3 minutes, I looked up at the wreck that was my living room and felt guilty for being on the treadmill. So I got off and picked up a bit for 5 minutes. Then I got back on the treadmill. I got back off and picked up some more. Afterwards, I got back on and finished my run.

I effectively fit in some cardio cleaning intervals lol.

There is no Supermom.

It’s hard juggling the tough stuff. But when it’s quiet at night I can’t help but be grateful that I can drop everything to pick up my daughter when the nurse calls. I don’t have to drive 45 minutes across town, leaving behind a disappointed boss and leaderless team.

Related: How to Handle the Unrealistic Demands to be Super Moms

My book will still be waiting. My business won’t break apart. I’m not letting anyone down to take care of my family. I’ve worked hard to be able to say that.

But it isn’t always enough. I know it isn’t.

I’ve been listening to Gary Vaynerchuk’s book, Why Now is the Time to Crush it! on  Audiblewhile I attempt to make a dent in the clutter that my husband hates. 

A key point of Vaynerchuck’s book is that we should always “value legacy over currency.” What does that mean? To me, it means that the memories my kids have of me and my love for them is worth more than the consistent paycheck I once brought home every two weeks.

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For some reason, I foolishly believed that once I became a stay at home mom, I would miraculously be motivated to clean like mom. My DNA didn’t come with a natural affinity for cleaning. My mom passed that gene onto my sister, not me. They both feel anxious and unable to work among chaos, so they clean. In my mom’s case, she cleans all the time.  

Related:Four ways I motivate myself to clean.

Hopefully, my kids will remember me as the amazing cook, kind person, compassionate mom, and flawed human that I am.

I don’t believe that women who leave the workforce have to be happy cooking and cleaning after their families to prove their worth.

At the same time, there is nothing wrong with women who are happy doing these things.

But it is wrong for intelligent, driven women to feel inadequate for wanting to do more. Whether someone else makes you feel that way or you feel that way about yourself, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with realizing that you still have aspirations – even after giving birth.

Becoming a mom doesn’t mean you have to give up your dreams, even if becoming a mom was the dream you wanted the most. (Like it was for me.)

Free up some time with these quick dinner ideas.

You’ll always be more than a mom

I want my kids to look back and remember that their mom loved them fiercely, but she also loved other things too–like writing, like supporting others and helping bloggers find their tribe, like growing her business.

This is why I do this.

It isn’t just because I like to work out, make cute things, and complain about the baskets of laundry.

I share timesaving parenting hacks, easy recipes, and cleaning tips (yes I know I said I’m horrible at cleaning — it doesn’t mean that I don’t work on improving it every day) for one reason alone. I do it so that the moms who aren’t happy filling their days with cooking and cleaning, can spare more time on the things that do make them happy.

So she can read a book.

So she can work on her blog.

So she can go to the gym.

So she can sell LulaRoe, Rodan and Fields, Young Living or whatever else she wants to do.

There is nothing wrong with anyone wanting more out of life than cooking and cleaning. So keep teaching your children to follow their passions and hustle. So let your husband enjoy his hobby. And make sure you take the time to take care of YOU.

More about me:

The dishes will be there tomorrow

The one thing that motivates me to clean

My miscarriage story