Friday, August 5, 2016

Keeping Everybody Happy

I write a lot about keeping kids happy and organized and learning and thriving. Which makes sense. I have kids that I'm still trying to figure out, and the researcher and teacher in me wants to figure things out and write about it.

Then I go to a conference, where I tell people that I write about raising kids while still maintaining the "Meredith" part of my identity, about how moms need to take care of themselves too, and I think "Hmmmm...have I actually done that lately? Or have I focused more cleaning and car seats?"

Yeah, it's more of the cleaning and car seats. Whoops.

I mean to. I want to. I really do. But sometimes you just get into the habit of making everything family centric.

Sounds great, right? Family! Most important thing! Until you realize that you've focused so much on them that you forgot you're a person too.

See how slippery a slope it is? You go shopping for yourself and wind up with a bag of clothes for the kids. You plan your meals based on what your kids like to eat. You spend so much time packing their bags for a trip that you scarcely remember to pack underwear for yourself.

Cleaning and car seats. Whoops.

Adam and I recently took a day trip without the girls, and it got me thinking about how I should be thinking, and writing, about that too. What are the road trip essentials for adults? Where is our packing list?

I don't necessarily have all the answers today. Sometimes just thinking about it is enough to jar me back into the kind of balance I encourage other moms to have.

For now, just trying to keep everyone happy, including me, is enough.


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