I received this question the other day,"How do you handle being overwhelmed when multiple children are requiring multiple things from you at the same time? There are many times when I know they have legitimate needs and I find myself letting things slide as far as attitudes go in those moments because I'm overwhelmed and frustrated and then I feel guilty because I feel like I'm not being a good mom..."Although this subject is a pretty serious one, I did drop a few comical examples, but hopefully it is helpful to you and can incorporate them into your every day mommy life.
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
Psalm 127:3
Children are a blessing and gift from God. That being said, this does not mean that they are not challenging and keep us on our toes. :D
I wanted to discuss this question that was given to me by a friend of mine. I do not claim to know all the answers and I hope that my thoughts and ideas are used to help and guide you as you raise your children.
This can take a lot of time to answer, but I will give a short answer and elaborate in future writings, make it a part of a course or include it in my book.
Here is the question again...
"How do you handle being overwhelmed when multiple children are requiring multiple things from you at the same time? There are many times when I know they have legitimate needs and I find myself letting things slide as far as attitudes go in those moments because I'm overwhelmed and frustrated and then I feel guilty because I feel like I'm not being a good mom..."
The best advice I can give on this is count to 10…. No really!!
This is so overwhelming I totally agree. As a mother of 6, and ages ranging from 12 down to 1, I get the overwhelming feeling of being pulled in all directions. “Mama, can you make me a sandwich?” “Mama, there is water all over the floor.” “Mama, I think the baby has a dirty diaper”.
Aghhh!!!
In this scenario, you literally have to stop and take a deep breath and figure out which one of these questions or statements have the higher priority. What (or who)are you going to have to sacrifice for a moment?
Let’s pretend that this is what plays out in your day.
- The dirty diaper can wait.
- The sandwich can wait.
- The water can NOT wait.
If you let this go, someone slips on the water(depending on where the water is, careful.. It could be from the toilet!! LOL), and you have a bigger mess, or an accident.
I’ve been in several different situations, where one child is screaming, the other is in something they are not supposed to be in and another asking a (serious question to them, not so important question to me). Breathe, pray and prioritize...
Breathe take a step back.
Pray and ask God to help you decide what to do in that situation. I literally am praying all day for different things, moment by moment.
Prioritize quickly and attend to the higher priority.
As far as attitudes go,especially if you have a toddler and are nursing or just dealing with a younger one, it is super easy to let that go.
As much as I hate doing that( stop nursing and deal with the issue of another child), I have done it on numerous occasions. All I can say it is worth it. Will it take more time? Absolutely! The long term results of that child’s behavior and attitude will be better, and there will be fewer problems as well. (I’ll share later some things I like to do to entertain an older sibling/toddler while being occupied with a baby)
Feeling like you’re a bad mom, is something I struggle with all the time. You feel like you’re going in circles , repeating the same things over and over all day long. You lose your cool (haha) and you break down and feel like quitting… ummm several times a day.
My husband always reminds me that this is not the final product. Keep doing what’s right. They are a work in progress. It’s hard to remember that in the heat of a toddler fight, but it’s the truth. Teach them what’s right and they will eventually surprise you.
I can say without a shadow of a doubt, as long as you follow God’s design of a parent child relationship one day you’ll get to see your older ones teaching their siblings the same thing you taught them several years before. It’s pretty rewarding and it can only happen by the grace of God.
Don’t forget, kids will be kids and nobody is perfect. Just do right.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Till next time,
Mommyandbabyblog.com
