I Get Why Mama Bear’s Porridge Was Cold

Have you ever had one of those days? Those days where you cannot get out of your pajamas, you can’t get one full job done, where the most you accomplished in that one day was keeping the kids alive and, frankly, you’re damn proud of it?

Then you get it, you get why mama bear’s porridge was cold!

I remember that story, you know, the one about the three bears and that little blond girl who keeps messing with their house, and I found myself thinking about the very funny (and accurate) dynamic of the porridge on the table. Papa bear’s was too hot, baby bear’s was just right and mama bear’s was… cold. I thought about how that was exactly like those days. I looked around my house today at the six half (really a quarter) way done jobs as I sat down for the fourth time to try to eat my lunch and couldn’t help but laugh.

[left]As a mom I put everyone’s needs before my own, a lot of times I even put my house before my own needs. Quick, the baby is asleep, let me do the dishes or start dinner, maybe straighten up some toys? As I sit here writing this, with baby in my lap, monkey on my back asking me to put a movie on, I think about how easy it is to get overwhelmed. How easy it is to lose sight, lose track of what is really important.[/left]

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I will be candid here and say that I am a bit compulsive. I like things to be a certain way, I like my house to be clean, I like to get things done. I definitely stretch myself thin, I have two kids (one of which is an infant), I write this blog, I edit for this blog group, I own a crochet business and I take care of our house, including the cooking. In one day, that is a lot. I used to get overwhelmed, I used to feel alone in it all, I used to let my compulsions get the best of me.

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[right]I remember the day I decided to stop letting everything weigh on me. I remember sitting on the couch, almost in tears because there was just too much to do. The dishes were overflowing, there were tumble weeds of dog hair, I had a few outstanding crochet orders to fill, my toddler was crying and my baby had just woken up again for the fifth time in that hour and it hit me. It’s not about how much I can get done. It’s not about having the most organized house, sparkling dishes, a five-course gourmet meal. It’s about my babies. I want to see them smile, I want to hear them laugh, I want to feel their warm hands in mine.[/right]

[left]I realized that at the end of the day, toys could be everywhere, my floors could be dirty, my sink could be full but so could my heart. If I let it all go and enjoy my babies, enjoy my day with them, take time for myself so that I can be the best mother I can be, then I will always feel happy. I will always feel complete with them by my side and in my heart. I will regret worrying about how my house looks, worrying about my timelines for everything but I will never regret spending more time with my babies. So I vow to eat my food hot, spend time with my babies every chance I can get and just enjoy my life with my young children. They are only little once and I will not let it pass me by for housework.[/left]

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So I will let the dishes sit, let the toys linger and if my porridge has to be cold, it will be because we played a little longer and snuggled a little harder, it will be because my heart is warm…

and full of love.

What are some ways you take care of yourself and your babies?

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Samantha Sykula

Born and raised in NY, I studied speech and language pathology at NYU. I am a stay at home mom to two beautiful children, Richard and Charlotte and wife to my wonderful husband, Rich. I have always had a deep love for learning, which has grown further since becoming a mother, I am always looking for new ways to enrich our lives. Becoming a mother changed my life, I learned compassion, caring and most importantly, true love. I hope to share the experiences of my breastfeeding, cloth diapering, babywearing, crocheting, full of love, life.