The Daily Life of a Young Mama

I have been told so many times, “You have a 10 month old? You don’t look old enough to be a mom.” I never know how to respond beyond saying, “Yes, I’m a mom and he’s my best friend.” I’m almost twenty four and I had Greyson at age twenty three (pregnant at twenty two), but I’m not sure why my age matters, or why there’s still a stigma around being a mom in your early twenties. I’m a young mama, but I’m an amazing mama. I’m creative, hands on, and passionate. Everything I do in this life is for my son and my husband and if I could go back and change when I got pregnant, I wouldn’t. I am so happy I had Greyson at a young age and I’m so excited to have another baby in the near future. People in my life are always amazed at my ability to get up every morning, tired or not, do my makeup and hair, dress up, and conquer my daily tasks with a baby by my side, and honestly…there’s no hidden secret to my life as a mama bear. I always say it’s a balancing act and being a happy and healthy mom is about balance and peace. I find peace in the people, places, and things I love. I find balance in time management and staying true to who I am.

My daily life changes day to day but there’s still a routine to maintain that balance. During the week my husband works from 7am-around 6pm and I work most weeknights from 5pm-11pm. The weekends are all about my boys and I love spending time with Andrew and Greyson. Sometimes we do day trips over the weekend and other weekends are dedicated to home projects and relaxation. During the week I wake up an hour or two after my husband leaves (around 6:30am), I feed and change Greyson, if the weather is nice we go for an early morning walk, and I always play with Greyson in his nursery in the morning. When he’s in his height chair eating and watching Word Party or Little Baby Bum I vacuum, feed my cats, make myself breakfast or tea, and I always manage to accomplish everything. I find time to shower, do my hair, my makeup, and when I do laundry and things like that he crawls around in the room with me and hangs out. He’s always been my buddy and best friend and I think it’s so important to include your child in your daily routine so it’s never an issue. I talk to him through everything I do so he knows he’s a part of my day.

I do have my own business and although I really scaled back after I had Greyson (and now that I’m back in fashion retail), occasionally I have a dog walking or pet sitting client. Usually, my mom or Andrew will babysit him while I run to my clients, but sometimes he goes with me. He’s an essential part of my life and I will never choose work (or anything else) over my child. I waited a long time before going back into a work environment after having Greyson and I don’t regret it at all. I love my job at Altar’d State (a gorgeous clothing store) and it’s so nice having something that I work hard at and that I love. It’s the perfect environment for me and I encourage every mama to do something each week for herself because it is good for the soul. If I go and get my nails done my mom or Andrew will take care of Greyson, but besides nail appointments, he usually comes with me wherever I go!

He loves going shopping with me, out to lunch, and hanging out with my friends. Mamas, don’t exclude your children from your routine or outings…include them and make every experience special and something to look forward to. We love going to Target or grocery shopping early in the morning when it’s quiet and he can look at everything in the store. Friends of mine and people in my life often mistake my bubbly personality for not being tired, but I am always tired…I’m a busy mom. I don’t drink coffee either, so I get my energy from eating and drinking healthy options (as much as I can), walks, and from pushing through. I rarely get to nap at this point and sometimes it’s best to keep moving and keeping yourself busy. Positivity is everything and if you’re a negative person you will have a negative day and a negative life. I’d rather have a lot on my plate than nothing to occupy my time, because that would be so boring. I enjoy picking out a cute outfit every day and I find a lot of inspiration and peace in my clothes. There’s something very therapeutic and fun about styling your outfit.

I’ve been asked how I deal with the bad days and we all know they exist. You know the days I’m talking about…the days that start off feeling like a bumpy, dirt road and by the end of the day you feel as though you hiked up a steep mountain with no break or assistance. Maybe you get to the top of the mountain and you admire the view, take a deep breath, and reset after the tiring day that is now behind you, or maybe you reach the top of the mountain and you break down, because the emotions are still very present and overpowering. We can pretend the bad days don’t exist and lie to ourselves but bad days are inevitable and it’s okay to have a not so amazing day. It’s okay to cry, yell, get angry, and to fall apart as long as you remember to build yourself back up and shoot for a beautiful tomorrow. Life is made up of tiny moments and not every moment is going to be beautiful and photo worthy, but each moment is so incredibly important. It’s hard to write down a guide to dealing with moments of sadness and anger because every single one of those moments differ from one another. Sometimes, I am just in a mood or stressed out and there’s nothing I can do but get through my day and start over…reset. Usually, I don’t let anything bother me for more than a few minutes and I let all of my emotions free within those few minutes. If I need to cry, laugh, or yell, I do it. There’s no reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed about not being perfect and having real emotions. I know moms feel as though a bad day makes them a bad mom and that’s so far from the truth; I try not to yell or cry in front of Greyson, but it’s important for him to see a balance in life and understand how to deal with every emotion we possess. I’ve always had anxiety and it’s hard for me to talk myself down when I’m upset or stressed but I always find a way. Greyson makes it easy to let go of what I can’t control because he’s so happy, light, and full of life, which is a reminder about what’s truly important in life.

I wish every mama a positive daily routine…Mamas, never forget to sincerely enjoy yourself. Yes, there will always be moments that will test you and cause stress but even cleaning can be therapeutic…it’s all about how you look at it. Are you going to be a glass half full or a glass half empty kind of person? It’s your choice but as I continue to say, a negative mindset will lead to a negative life. Also, we aren’t perfect and we all mess up. I can be a brat, stubborn, and crazy…but, I know that my best is pretty amazing and the good days will always outnumber the bad.

Xo