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You are here: Home / Life / 10 Things I’ve Learned About Motherhood

10 Things I’ve Learned About Motherhood

May 11, 2017 By Kari 6 Comments

10 things I've learned about motherhood-1With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I find myself not only reflecting on how much I adore my little boy (I’m a sappy mess this time of year), but also thinking about motherhood and the expectations I had going in.

10 Things I’ve Learned About Motherhood (so far)

1. No one else knows what they’re doing either. A parenting Bible doesn’t exist. Raising children is more of a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’. When Wyatt was born, I spent most of my waking hours on Google trying to learn how to be a parent. What did I ultimately learn? Ask those who’ve gone before you, then decide whose advice you want to keep.

2. Just because my Instagram feed is sparkly clean, that doesn’t mean my life is. Don’t be fooled by the perceived perfection of other peoples’ lives on social media. Most times, to get that one amazing photo, there are 450+ in my gallery that is a total disaster. Usually, I have to crop out a messy table or sink full of dishes.

3. Schedule your ‘me’ time. Decide what it is that makes you sane, and mark it in your calendar like you would a soccer practice or business meeting. It’s an equally important, if not more important, commitment. I’ve said ‘no’ to many social invites because I’d rather sip wine in my bubble bath. Don’t budge on this. Do what’s right for you.

4. We all have moments when we lose our cool with our kids (and feel guilty about it). It’s tough, but you need to give yourself a break and know that this is normal. If I raise my voice at Wyatt because he dumped his cereal all over the floor I just cleaned, I grab a mop, clean it up, and make sure to apologize to him. I can’t help but notice how he observes how I handle different situations.

5. Realize that most things with young kids represent a temporary phase. I have to remind myself of this all the time. Whether it’s a sleep regression, teething, or toddler tantrums (which we’re just starting to experience), eventually the storm will pass and you’ll emerge on the other side.

10 things I've learned about motherhood-2

6. Time away is everything. If you can swing it, you need to have a moment once a day or once every couple of days where you walk away from being a parent. Whether it’s taking that painting class you’ve been following, or going to the grocery store alone (I’ve wandered the aisles for way too long), it’s so good for everyone to have time away. I find, even if I pop out for an hour, I come back refreshed and ready for another round of parenting.

7. They’ll live. You miss a nap, push bedtime, give them too much ice cream, or let them have screen time before they’re one year old (gasp!) — they’ll be ok. Of course we aim to do the best for our kids, but sometimes we have to say, ‘Ah, what the heck!’.

8. Wanting to tear a strip off the construction crew, the UPS guy, or the kid screaming in his backyard next door because they interrupted your babe’s nap? This is totally normal. I once considered talking with the guys doing work on our street about scheduling their lunch around when Wyatt was napping so it would be quiet. Ultimately, my husband Ryan was happy we invested in a white noise machine instead. 😉

9. Life’s short. Play with your kid. Who cares if you didn’t get to cleaning the bathroom, or if the dishes are piling up, or if you’ve worn the same shirt three days in a row because you haven’t had time to get to the laundry. Get on the floor, and build a tower with your kid. Go to the park and colour! I have to remind myself of this all the time.  Like you, I’m always trying to multi-task, and of course we have responsibilities we can’t ignore. BUT, this part of our kids’ lives goes by so fast. Do everything you can to avoid missing it because you’re worried about the cleaning the house!

10. Finally – you’re amazing. You know that…right? Whether you’re a stay-at-home mama or a working mama…you’re killin’ it. You’re raising your babes to be the best little humans, all while making time to still do you: tending to your responsibilities, continuing to invest in friendships, spending time with family, etc., etc., etc. It’s a lot, but you’re owning it. When it comes down to it, all that matters is love. Do you love your kid? Do they know that? That, and some sort of food, is all they really need. So, the next time you see a perfectly-polished mama, know that underneath her pretty outfit is (most likely) a hot mess. We’re all in the same boat, just trying to do our best.

10 things I've learned about motherhood-3

Mama Bird T-Shirt | Wyatt’s Toucan-Print Tank | Wyatt’s Shorts

What have you learned along the way that may help other mamas? Please post in the comments below.

Happy Mother’s Day!

 

Other Posts You’ll Like:

What Mom Really Wants On Mother’s Day

The Ultimate Poutine Recipe

Shop Small Homebody Gift Box

xx

Related

Filed Under: Life, Momstyle, Motherhood, Outfits, Parenting Chats, What Wyatt Wears

Comments

  1. Deborah Skelton says

    May 11, 2017 at 7:18 am

    Well said…Mama Bird 💗

    Reply
  2. Elaine A Bolivar says

    May 11, 2017 at 11:21 am

    Well said Kari! One of my favourite poems about Motherhood was: “Cleaning & scrubbing can wait till tomorrow, for babies grow up, we’ve learned to our sorrow. So settle down cobwebs & dust go to sleep. I’m rocking my baby & babies don’t keep.”

    Reply
  3. Mer says

    May 12, 2017 at 8:53 am

    Great post from a wonderful mother. (PS – I’m taking notes) 😉

    Reply
    • Kari says

      May 19, 2017 at 9:28 am

      Thank you, friend!

      Reply
  4. Gary Skelton says

    May 16, 2017 at 7:34 pm

    Great points to ponder and remind ourselves!

    Reply
    • Kari says

      May 19, 2017 at 9:28 am

      Thanks! <3 <3

      Reply

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Lifestylist + Blogger: KariSkelton.com
Mom to Wyatt, Moses🐾 + Monroe🐾
Babe on the way! (06/22)
❤ @ryanjespersen
motherhood | style | recipes 👇

Kari Skelton | Motherhood
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Life update. ❤ I’ll be keeping this piece of Life update. ❤

I’ll be keeping this piece of art forever. Wyatt painted this for me back in January, when I was isolated with Covid. I taped it up on the wall beside the bed during my stay in our guest room. If you zoom in, you’ll see me in the front with the big baby belly. (Wyatt calls me ‘big belly’ these days!)

Rainbows represent promise, hope, and new beginnings. 

It's been a rough past few weeks for our family, hence my absence online. Thank you so much for your messages of love, concern, and support. They mean so much to us. I know I share a lot with you on here, but I’m not going to get into details this time. Just know we're doing alright. Junebug is great (and kicking and rolling around non-stop!), Wyatt is awesome per usual, and Ryan and I are rock solid.

I had to take a break from work. My main focus has always been (and will
always be) protecting the peace, health, and well-being of our family unit. 

Social media can be a beautiful place where connection and inspiration happens. Unfortunately, it can also foster hurtful and harmful attacks. I’ve learned so much over these past few weeks, and have deeply reflected on my presence and future plans online. I’ll share more soon, but for now, I just wanted to check in, say a sincere thanks, and let you know we’re all good. ❤️
The moment I found out. September 22, 2021. I’ll The moment I found out. September 22, 2021. I’ll be honest - the first trimester wasn’t great. There were moments of joy (like this one) but it was filled with anxiety, scary moments, and a few hurdles. 

🤰I’m playing catchup on some pregnancy blog posts but I wanted to make sure this was up, especially for those who have been following our journey. 

👉 Head on over to KariSkelton.com for ‘Pregnancy Q&A: The First Trimester’ where I get into all of it. Link is in my bio.

❔️Please ask any questions. That’s the whole reason why I share about this. I believe sharing our experiences and personal stories helps all of us feel less alone and often validates what we’re going through. 

(If you can believe it, I took a video of the exact moment I found out but it disappeared from my files. Poof! Gone.💨 Of all the videos to lose…. 🙈 But very happy to have this photo).

#pregnancystories #motherhoodrising #motherhoodunites #Canadianblogger #Canadianmom
Contest Closed. Congrats to our winner @michelle_q Contest Closed. Congrats to our winner @michelle_quay! Thanks to all of you for entering! ❤

➡️ Giveaway! To celebrate @fresonbros first birthday tomorrow (Saturday, March 5), we’re giving away a $250 Freson Bros. GC! 🥳

You’re invited to pop down to the party between 11-5 to celebrate with us! 🎉There’s birthday torte, a whole bunch of perks, specialty tastings, and additional in-store giveaways, including a beautiful Camp Chef XT Wood Pellet Grill! 🙆‍♀️

To enter our $250 GC Giveaway:

👉 Make sure you follow me @kariskelton and @fresonbros.

👉 Like this post.

👉 tag some friends who would love this!

✨️ Bonus entry: Head to KariSkelton.com and leave a comment on my ‘Freson Bros. Turns One’ blog post (make sure to add your IG handle in that comment so we know who you are). 

*This giveaway is open to Canadian residents only and is in no way endorsed or supported by Instagram. The winner must be able to pick up the $250 gift card prize at Freson Bros. Edmonton 5139 Mullen Rd. Contest closes Friday, March 4 at 11:59 pm MST. The winner will be announced on this post before 9 a.m MST Saturday, March 5. 

🚨*PLEASE watch out for impersonation accounts that unfortunately sometimes pop up during giveaways. I will only reach out to you via DM from my account (@kariskelton) to confirm your win and then we’ll coordinate details via email only.
Load More… Follow on Instagram

kariskelton

Lifestylist + Blogger: KariSkelton.com
Mom to Wyatt, Moses🐾 + Monroe🐾
Babe on the way! (06/22)
❤ @ryanjespersen
motherhood | style | recipes 👇

Kari Skelton | Motherhood
when you feel like you've hit your max bump but th when you feel like you've hit your max bump but there's still nine weeks to go. 😳

It's truly amazing what our bodies can do. 💛

#31weeks #sunsoutbumpsout #beachball
Life update. ❤ I’ll be keeping this piece of Life update. ❤

I’ll be keeping this piece of art forever. Wyatt painted this for me back in January, when I was isolated with Covid. I taped it up on the wall beside the bed during my stay in our guest room. If you zoom in, you’ll see me in the front with the big baby belly. (Wyatt calls me ‘big belly’ these days!)

Rainbows represent promise, hope, and new beginnings. 

It's been a rough past few weeks for our family, hence my absence online. Thank you so much for your messages of love, concern, and support. They mean so much to us. I know I share a lot with you on here, but I’m not going to get into details this time. Just know we're doing alright. Junebug is great (and kicking and rolling around non-stop!), Wyatt is awesome per usual, and Ryan and I are rock solid.

I had to take a break from work. My main focus has always been (and will
always be) protecting the peace, health, and well-being of our family unit. 

Social media can be a beautiful place where connection and inspiration happens. Unfortunately, it can also foster hurtful and harmful attacks. I’ve learned so much over these past few weeks, and have deeply reflected on my presence and future plans online. I’ll share more soon, but for now, I just wanted to check in, say a sincere thanks, and let you know we’re all good. ❤️
The moment I found out. September 22, 2021. I’ll The moment I found out. September 22, 2021. I’ll be honest - the first trimester wasn’t great. There were moments of joy (like this one) but it was filled with anxiety, scary moments, and a few hurdles. 

🤰I’m playing catchup on some pregnancy blog posts but I wanted to make sure this was up, especially for those who have been following our journey. 

👉 Head on over to KariSkelton.com for ‘Pregnancy Q&A: The First Trimester’ where I get into all of it. Link is in my bio.

❔️Please ask any questions. That’s the whole reason why I share about this. I believe sharing our experiences and personal stories helps all of us feel less alone and often validates what we’re going through. 

(If you can believe it, I took a video of the exact moment I found out but it disappeared from my files. Poof! Gone.💨 Of all the videos to lose…. 🙈 But very happy to have this photo).

#pregnancystories #motherhoodrising #motherhoodunites #Canadianblogger #Canadianmom
Contest Closed. Congrats to our winner @michelle_q Contest Closed. Congrats to our winner @michelle_quay! Thanks to all of you for entering! ❤

➡️ Giveaway! To celebrate @fresonbros first birthday tomorrow (Saturday, March 5), we’re giving away a $250 Freson Bros. GC! 🥳

You’re invited to pop down to the party between 11-5 to celebrate with us! 🎉There’s birthday torte, a whole bunch of perks, specialty tastings, and additional in-store giveaways, including a beautiful Camp Chef XT Wood Pellet Grill! 🙆‍♀️

To enter our $250 GC Giveaway:

👉 Make sure you follow me @kariskelton and @fresonbros.

👉 Like this post.

👉 tag some friends who would love this!

✨️ Bonus entry: Head to KariSkelton.com and leave a comment on my ‘Freson Bros. Turns One’ blog post (make sure to add your IG handle in that comment so we know who you are). 

*This giveaway is open to Canadian residents only and is in no way endorsed or supported by Instagram. The winner must be able to pick up the $250 gift card prize at Freson Bros. Edmonton 5139 Mullen Rd. Contest closes Friday, March 4 at 11:59 pm MST. The winner will be announced on this post before 9 a.m MST Saturday, March 5. 

🚨*PLEASE watch out for impersonation accounts that unfortunately sometimes pop up during giveaways. I will only reach out to you via DM from my account (@kariskelton) to confirm your win and then we’ll coordinate details via email only.
Load More… Follow on Instagram

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