Mommy Sanity [mom-ee san-i-tee] – the soundness of mind and judgment that it takes to keep it together while small children unfold laundry, smear poop, watch Jake and the Neverland Pirates on repeat, yell and scream, and otherwise wreak havoc while maintaining an incredible sense of cute that makes you want to laugh and cry all at the same time
There are two things I think mamas need to maintain their Mommy Sanity in the midst of the chaos that is small kiddos.
- Rest
- Creativity
I think “rest” is pretty obvious. In the last 4 years of being a mom, I can’t remember very many nights that were uninterrupted, or not cut short on one end or the other by crying, rocking, snuggling, vomit, feeding, pee, drinks of water, or even the catching up on house work or work-work and several other things that I can’t remember right now.
And sometimes all I want is some rest. Honest to goodness, solid, uninterrupted sleep or time by myself to watch Downton Abbey or take a shower. Can I get an Amen?
My husband and I went on a Baby Moon in September and people kept asking us our plans. And I was like “uh, sleeping?” and people would chuckle like I was joking. And I would chuckle because they thought I was joking but really, I was so dead serious.
As a matter of fact, rest and how we cultivate that into our life, even when it’s INSANELY busy is so important to us, we (Hubs and I) talk about it on a new blog called Our Daily Rest, (which hasn’t officially launched yet) if you want to check it out. I digress….
I think for moms, rest is pretty straight forward. We know what we need to feel rested. To get rest. And it’s also probably the hardest thing for us to get with all the interruptions to our sleep.
So that’s why I think creativity is also important.
Creativity does something in our brain. It gets the juices flowing in a way that makes us feel awake. For example, as I write this, it’s 10:45 pm and I’ve said more than once that I need to go to bed. But with each word I tip-tap on the keyboard, my brain becomes more awake, even if my eyes get droopier.
And I believe creating gives us something that is ours to think about. Pray about. Learn about. Get geeked out about. To look forward to. Something that lives and breathes and moves that is just something that springs up from inside of you.
Creativity is a step past the awesomest of awesome Pinterest boards. Creativity is not only pinning something that looks cool or delicious, but taking it up a notch and producing it.
[bctt tweet=”Creativity is not only pinning something that looks cool or delicious, but taking it up a notch and producing it.”]
I don’t know what your creative outlet is. Maybe you don’t even know what your creative outlet is anymore because it’s been so long since you had one or felt like you could have one. Have no fear, mama friend, I’m here to help.
Here are 19 creative things you can start doing this week:
- Sewing
- Cross-Stitching
- Crocheting
- Knitting
- Quilting
- Painting
- Drawing
- Crafts
- Jewelry Making
- Coloring
- Bible Journaling
- Reading
- Baking
- Cooking
- Dancing
- Poetry Writing
- Song Writing
- Creative Writing (Fiction)
- Blog/Journal Writing (Non-Fiction)
Listen y’all, I love to paint. I would paint canvases that look like 5th grade art to my little heart’s content. But with little people in the house, the thought of getting out and putting away stuff overwhelms me. This also applies to crafts. And sewing. Well no, sewing stresses me out because of the bobbin. But still.
So I write.
And I share it with you all because I think community is so vital to all of us. Learning and growing together. It’s like having an art show or a quilting circle. (I would be bad at sewing that way, too, for the record.)
But maybe you want to paint! Or bake like a mad woman! Or cross-stitch some boss wall hangings! Get it girl! Your creativity is about you and what works for your personality.
Creativity is an amazing outlet. It gets juices flowing. Brains pumping. Fingers a-tingling. It gives you something that is just yours, and whether you choose to share it or not, you can see growth and change in yourself as you continue to be creative.
My fellow Mom-ericans, we cannot underestimate the power of rest and creativity.[bctt tweet=”My fellow Mom-ericans, we cannot underestimate the power of rest and creativity.”] They are life giving. A balance of our inward and outward desires and needs.
My challenge in this new year is to make space for creativity and rest. Take a nap. Sign up for a class or watch a YouTube video. Go to bed early. Start a blog. Sleep till the kids wake up. Become the cookie queen of your neighborhood.
Small steps, intentional, prayerful steps like rest and creativity are how we gain and maintain our Mommy Sanity.
Because let’s face it, there’s no end in sight to the daily laundry unfolding.
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