My Biggest Parenting Challenge | Motherhood Unplugged

We all know that raising kids isn't always a walk in the park. We all face obstacles in parenthood whether it be winning the potty training war, simply having enough energy, trying to be Super Mom, worrying about their future or finding ways to balance the work/life scale. The list of worry could be a mile long. One of the most important lessons I've learned thus far in my journey through motherhood is to focus on what actually matters and all else will eventually fall into place.

My boys are 3 + 5 and it just now feels like I'm getting the hang of things. There is no how to be a mother manual that you can pre-read or study in order to be an effective mom or parent. You just have to get in there and do it and pray that what you are doing works out for the best. I used to be sort of a helicopter mom constantly worrying about my first born getting hurt and staying near with caution in case he did. Phoenix has been fearless since day one and as a new mom I did not know what to expect; especially since he started standing up and walking at around 10 months old. That totally freaked me out! Once he was up on his two feet there was no stopping him. Potty training wasn't too stressful with my first but I was so ready for my second born to be done with pampers + breastfeeding for that matter lol Potty training is really training for the parents because the child decides when they are ready. Luckily for us, Cairo did not take eons to decide he wanted to be a big boy. I even sold his musical potty to another mom before he was fully trained because I was so over cleaning it and listening to that 'yay you did it' song over and over lol Potty training without a doubt is messy and stressful but then comes the skid marks and oops I had an accident phase (rolls eyes) but there's always coffee right :) Now I'm in the phase of NO I don't have to pee and him holding it til the last possible second which may or may not lead to a change of clothing. sigh

I haven't had to deal with many public tantrums but I do have to play referee on a daily basis between the two toddlers. I also have siblings that are close in age and I don't remember having all of those quarrels as a kid, maybe boys are just different. I just pray that they grow to be the best of friends as they age. To combat this I try to give them separate activities sometimes and even go as far as spending QT separately with each of them so that they both feel equally loved and attended to. I'm considering taking that concept a bit further and doing a weekend mommy + me vacation with each. Any excuse to go on a vacay right:)

Finding a balance in everyday life can be challenging in my house. I'm not a routine kind of gal nor do I make lists and check them twice. When I grow up I may be that organized but I'm not there yet. I like to clean and get the house together in doses of when I feel like it lol Although I try to keep my kitchen clean everyday because who wants to wake up to dirty dishes. Striking a balance between knowing when to clean, when to educate and when to just unplug and enjoy the kids being themselves can be tough with so much going on. Lately, I have been doing a lot more 'letting go' and not getting on them about every single thing. The house does get messy and it does get cleaned in the same regard. Recently I had an unexpected visit from a neighbor and surprisingly my house was in decent order. I didn't have to run and shove things into a closet lol so I definitely feel like I'm doing things the right way for me. I'm just winging it, some days I get it right and others not even close and that's OK.

Focusing on the things that actually matter is my saving grace. It's not having a nonchalant attitude about life but more so learning to let go of trying to do it all and just take things as they come. There are meals to prepare, educating the kids, making time for blogging and growing my brand, doing the 'happy' dance with my husband, laundry + cleaning the house and getting to the gym for my ME time. The laundry + cleaning will always be there so why freak out and become OCD about having a sparkling oven every day--- being in the moment while living a happy life is way more important to me.

Sound familiar? How do you deal with your parenting challenges? Let us know and thanks for sharing!

Happy Travels

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