Parenthoodmiration

Do you ever notice how you look around at all the parents surrounding you and wonder how the heck they do it all?  I do.  I’ll be completely honest and be the first to admit I have such admiration for all the different parents getting it done and making it look so easy.  I like to call it "parenthoodmiration."  Since I’m a stay at home mom, I look at all the working parents in the world and am completely blown away by their multi-tasking be everywhere, do everything talent.  I look at them with their superhuman power and wonder what goes into their morning coffee that powers them through their day.  They pull off a full-time job and wear the parent hat.  I see them showing up at school to help when and where they can and then rushing back to work.  Wow.  I swear I need to know what’s going into their coffee because this momma needs some of that!

Beyond the working parent, there is the parent that stays home, has a perfectly cleaned and organized home and is at the school constantly volunteering their time.  I still wonder what goes into their coffee.  How do they have the time to be at the school all the time and have a house with floor I’m quite certain I could eat off at any given point in time?  I mean, no joke, I could show up unannounced put a sandwich, salad, and puddle of soup directly on the floor and know there wouldn’t be a stray dog hair or particle of dust that I’d ingest while eating.  I’d have to be sure I buffed the floor clean once I finished.  Come on.  I’d never disrespect a clean floor like that in someone else’s home. 

Let’s also not forget that both of these scenarios, the working parent and stay at home parent, include parents that are super fit and healthy.  They also take time to take care of themselves in addition to everyone and everything else.  They do yoga, go to the gym, do pilates, run marathons, or take spin classes.  And they look good while doing it in their cute little workout outfits.  It’s incredible.  They are a vision of health and wellness and could easily step off the pages of the latest edition of some magazine I’m fanning through while in line at the grocery checkout. 

Then you have me.  I like to help out at the school and spend time with my four girls, but I’m not the best housekeeper.  My door is always open so if you happen to pop by, the house will likely appear very lived in and the floor will guaranteed not be clean enough to eat off.  Nothing will be organized, and we haven’t even gotten to the second floor yet.  If you make your way to the second floor, you will find the true evidence that we are a family of six.  Yep.  There’s no hiding it.  Making your way up the stairs, you’ll find a trail of stripped down barbies and barbie clothes.  At the top of the landing, even worse… it will look as though the house has been robbed.  Robbed of what?  Cleanliness.  It’s gone.  It’s been taken away by small people that some days I feel powerless against.  Toys and crafts everywhere.  Step into any of the bedrooms and it doesn’t get any better.  It’s more of the same. 

Through the double doors of the master bedroom and you’ll enter laundry central.  A tranquil sanctuary it is not.  There is laundry to be sorted and folded.  Often that laundry might get sorted, but does it get folded and put away?  Nope.  Even worse, it gets folded, but somehow doesn’t get put away and the piles get knocked over and I’m right back at square one.

And let’s talk health… I have goals to be a vision of health and wellness one day.  I aspire to eat right and exercise every day.  I have a mental list of all the shoulds, and I’ll tell myself, “next Monday I’ll get it together and commit to being healthy.”  Monday start is always strong and I’m 100 percent committed… leafy greens and all.  By Tuesday, I find I’m slipping… the leafy greens have probably disappeared.  By Wednesday I’m likely eating ice cream right out of the carton.  I don’t own workout wear.  I have sweatpants and tattered tank tops.  Yeah, I’m likely wearing that while that while eating ice cream out of the carton. 

I could go on, but really what I want to say is I admire all you parents out there that do it all and do it all so well.  Even more, thanks for taking the time to look good doing it.  People like me notice and really do admire you.  You inspire me and make me want to strive to be the best version of myself.  Keep on keeping on because you all look great doing it!

Xoxo,

Inger