Dear Overwhelmed Mama,

It was not long ago I was in your shoes and the endless cleanup, many baths to give, diapers to change, shoes to tie, carseats to buckle…oh I yes, I remember.

Here are a few brief thoughts to encourage you this day…

~ I am a firm believer that our society is missing crucial help from others…we did not use to be independent as families. We had older women, younger girls, grandparents in the home and thus more help. Do you even have a young girl that would want to come play with your children or read books with them long enough for you to take a nap?  An older woman who would be willing to cook a meal for you once a week?  Or a highschooler that could clean your bathrooms weekly? Any little thing like that can be so helful.

~Try and simplify where you can. Paper plates have become my best friend! Where you can simplify, simplify meals, simplify your own expectations of what your house should look like.  These are definitely the times when you need to learn about Embracing the Mess!

~Above all, remember that this is part of the sanctification of our souls. Practicing Gratitude is one of the best things you can do on the little moments when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Gather your little ones around you and play the Pollyanna game–thinking of all the things you have to thank to thank the Lord for.

I know the fog of sleepless nights, I know the overwhelmed feeling that makes you wish the children would get older faster, but you will look back and miss these little days.

~Remember to take time to–JUST play! Go outside, forget about the housework, run with them, capture the overwhelming joy on their little faces. Giggle with them and throw a ball. And remember it is a season.

Life will get easier in this sense, but I have to say it will not “slow down”– now I have teens as well, and we are trading the diapers for long heart to heart talks, college studies and driving practice…they need me more than ever, and in a way it is harder work.

But, whatever stages we are at in our mothering, it is a high calling and we are blessed to be doing this forgotten labor that in the Lord’s eyes is most precious!

I would highly suggest you pick up a copy of Loving the Little Years from CBD.  This special little book will make you laugh, encourage you and give you fresh perspective on this special time!