A Balancing Act
I have opened a document to start writing my blog about 3 times today. And each time, I get distracted and find something else that needs my attention. It hasn’t gotten done and now here I am, at the 11th hour, trying to get my ideas down. Wait….ideas? What ideas? I have no idea what I want to write about today….
The problem is that I am highly distracted this week. Actually, I am going to be honest. I have been extremely distracted since the kids got out of school. The balance of organizing activities, packing bags, planning rides, and making sure my family is where they need to be has been a lot for me to manage this summer. My son is on a sailing team that is over an hour drive each way. And my daughter has a different schedule each week, depending on the activity she has going on. I have been struggling to maintain a regular routine, which includes writing this blog.
I know I can’t be the only mom that feels like a very underpaid Uber driver this summer. I feel like that is all I do - DRIVE! As soon as I drop one kiddo off, another one needs to be picked up and the cycle continues. I find myself doing my work in short bursts of time….an hour here, 15 minutes there…..
It is truly amazing how much I can get done when I only have minutes to work! I am like a machine, grinding everything that I need to do out in a very short amount of time. But other days, this crazy pace that I’ve been keeping becomes wearing and when I have a moment alone, I just want to veg. It is also amazing how fast time can fly when I begin to waste it by puttering around the house, browsing the internet, and checking my social media feeds.
I have come to the conclusion that I am struggling to keep a good work-life-family balance this summer. And when I leave everything to the last minute, I feel pressured, and I can’t perform like I want to….and that is my problem today. This blog post feels like it is rambling with no clear direction.
It will be August next week. I’ve been doing this crazy Uber-Mom thing for a little over a month now….and I’m getting kinda tired of it. I’ve done all the responsible and organized things that I know I am supposed to do! I write out my schedule for the week and make myself a to-do list. I plan my days down to the minute so that I can do what I need to do while getting my kids where they need to be.
Yet my laundry sits.
And I haven’t done a real grocery shop in a long time.
We eat out pretty regularly.
And I haven’t cooked a healthy meal once this week.
Why am I always feeling behind?
….because I’m not superhuman!! So what do I do? I think I have to begin by letting things go. Maybe I use “Drive Up and Go” for my groceries a little more regularly so that we have healthy food to eat for my family. And maybe I plan easy meals like I used to when I was working full-time out of the house….there’s no shame in using the Crock Pot, even in the summertime!
I think I also might need to ask for help with things like the laundry and Ubering my kiddos. I know my family and other parents that have kids in the same activities will always be willing to take a load off me once in a while. And I can leave a basket of laundry for my husband or even my kids to fold while they are watching TV.
But I really think that most importantly, I need to tell myself it is OK if things aren’t perfect…..that what I have been doing is good enough. And remind myself that there is no problem with taking a break when I need it. Maybe a little brain check-out in front of reality television will give me the boost that I need to keep going.
Lastly, I need to remember that this Uber-Mom life won’t last forever. There will come a time when my kids will come and go and won’t need me as much….and I’ll miss it. This time that I have with my kids, whether it is in the car or over take-out at our family table, is worth every second.
So what will August look like? Probably the same mayhem that July gave me….but with a little more lightheartedness, grace, and gratitude! Cheers to that!
