If you visit the social media posts of any mom-friends you have, you will see a steady stream of listings of their daily tasks, laments of their limited time and a general sense of busyness. Let’s be honest, “busy” is the “blessed” of the mom social media world. While it’s true, moms (and dads) really are that busy, it’s almost become a compulsory state of being. Are we really achieving that much more by living such a busy life?
Imagine, if you will, not signing up for each and every volunteer opportunity at your child’s school. Or maybe only setting up your child’s schedule with extracurricular activities two days a week instead of six. Maybe, if you want to get really crazy, you actually RSVP “no” to the fifth birthday party you received an invitation to next month.
The competition for who is the busiest has not gone unnoticed, either. The peer pressure to at least look the busy mom who is having and doing it all has really skyrocketed in the age of social media. This expectation for moms to be busy was even the topic of a recent popular movie.
But is this really doing us any good? Is it doing our children any good? What kind of life are we really modeling for them. Certainly there are people who thrive when their schedule is jam-packed, but if you’re always glued to your calendar, if you are constantly working on this project, that volunteer commitment and whatever else you’ve committed to that week, who is going to stroll down the sidewalk with your daughter and pick dandelions on a sunny Saturday afternoon?
When your children grow up, will they remember the way you laughed or the worry lines that traced your face while you were up late, exhausted, because you promised to make memory jars for every teacher at school for teacher appreciation week?
“Busy” is not a badge of honor. It is not a contest and it doesn’t prove that you’re a better mom than any other mom. As with all things in life, moderation is the key. So sign up to read to your child’s class every week and go ahead and enroll them in soccer again this year, but some nights don’t go anywhere.
Instead, listen to music together, meditate together and make up wild stories before bed. Go outside and take five minutes to watch the trees blow in the wind without posting a picture of it on Instagram. Forget about being busy every once in a while, because the PTA will always be there, but these moments will not.
