A Mom Learns to Let Go of the Little Things

It is all too easy to get caught up in the many details of raising kids. As I journey through this adventure we call motherhood, I am learning how to identify the little things and am allowing myself to let go. I am learning it is critical in keeping my sanity and also allows much more room for joy in our home.

There are so many little things dressed up as important details.

For example – matching shoes. Did you think matching shoes were important? I am here to tell you. They are a luxury not a need. When I was dreaming of the perfect Pottery Barn nursery for my firstborn, I never imagined one day I would be grateful just to find one right and left shoe. Not only did I never acquire that dream nursery, but by the third child I was just happy to have a clean spot on the floor to change a dirty diaper!

As my children and I grow, I am learning a great deal about what is truly important. I wish I could say I have cornered the market on that way of thinking. I am always learning. But how do we decide what is important? I think the most obvious thing to consider is safety. Whatever it takes to keep Joey out of the road, out of the toilet, away from matches.

The problem is, we so easily get caught up in the little things.

After 9 years and 3 children I am accepting the fact I will not die if my daughter is not wearing matching shoes. I don’t LIKE it when it happens, but we can still make it to the grocery store, a doctor appointment or even a play date. *GASP* The world does not start rotating in the opposite direction if shoes don’t match, hair isn’t combed or Missy won’t wear socks anymore. I gave up insisting their pj tops and bottoms match long ago. By 8 o’clock I just want them asleep! They need sleep. Mommy needs them to sleep.

When my son was was 4 he fell in love with his Superman jammies. After countless mornings battling with him to wear regular clothes to preschool, or anywhere, I decided to let him wear the jammies. For 6 weeks. I did insist on washing them. To me, that had to do with safety, but he always had them for the next day. That 6 week period happened to cross over Easter Sunday. Would you like to know what he wore that Easter Sunday? His Superman jammies. I am still alive. He is still alive, and I just so happen to have pretty adorable pictures of my son hunting for Easter eggs – in his Superman jammies.

I just want to start a revolution in the world of Motherhood. Let’s cut each other some slack! A big reason why it is so hard to let go of the little things is the pressure we get from our peers, the people in our neighborhood, room-moms and play-date moms. As much as we insist we don’t care what others think about our parenting, we do. We need to start creating lots of room for our fellow moms to grow and experience freedom with their children. Let’s create an environment where letting go of the little things is celebrated!

We are each dealing with independent, relentless, unbending, adorable wills. Certain things are worth the battle – like teaching them to NOT run into oncoming traffic or NOT to bite people. However, fretting about matching shoes, clean shirts, eating spaghetti like piggies, wearing diapers weighing less than 10 pounds. Is it really the end of the world if you are five minutes late? Really? I’m not implying I don’t get frustrated when I am running late. I cannot stand it, but my self-talk is changing, “This is not the end of the world, this is not the end of the world.”

It is amazing how overwhelming the little things can become. Lots of little things create a distraction from what we should really be busy doing loving, nurturing, snuggling, teaching, and spending quality time with our busy, messy, sticky children.

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4. Things You Will Miss After You Have Children
5. Traveling with Baby – Ten Things to Bring on the Plane