Motherhood Challenge: Holidays

(1 min read) Before becoming a mom I would mentally plan all the things I'd do for my kids on holidays (since it's Easter weekend I'll stick to Easter fun). Lavish egg hunts, fancy brunches, cute Easter bunny pictures, gigantic Easter baskets etc. etc. I subconsciously felt like if I didn't do all these things I wasn't a good mom. The first few years of motherhood I did ALL the things and got to the point where I resented holidays. 

Over the last year I've taken a different approach.

I am doing ZERO of the things I don't want to do and instead making the 1-3 holiday memories that we love really special (for this Easter it was painting eggs + a morning backyard egg hunt). 

No extra events, no extra sugar, no extra fluff. Just good memories.

At first it isn't easy to go against the status quo but now, not only do I feel like a better mom than the years I would try to do it all, but I'm calmer which then allows for happier kids too. When we stress ourselves out to do what we think we're "supposed" to do we end up in this mess of unrealistic chaos and no one ends up being happy or even present. 

I'm not saying I'll never do other holiday things but what I am doing is honoring my capacity at this time and focusing on the basics to make it enjoyable for my whole family- and that includes me.

If you did all the things this Easter and it was amazing, that's great! But if you found yourself rushing around and bending over backwards which was then met with empty gratitude then consider making a change. Find what makes sense for you in this season and don't be moved by the societal pressure (that ultimately comes from profiting businesses whose marketing is meant to make you feel bad if you don't do X, Y, and Z-ugh this makes me so mad).

On holidays I plan to focus on the 1-3 things that make a holiday/event nostalgic for my family and stick to planning for those few but sweet memories every year. Next major holiday is Memorial Day. I invite you to consider what will make your whole family happy including you and decide what, where and who to let go of in the interest of you staying calm, present and as the anchor for your children's wellbeing.

Honor your importance and safeguard your mind. All our kids depend on it. See you in next Sunday's e-newsletter.

XO, Naomi

mom, founder, certified life + business coach

www.highachievingmomsclub.com