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Challenge: Finding Your Voice as a Parent

Mama, if you don't slow down, you will crash

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I'm trying to slow down...

My pace.

My thoughts.

My words.

My reactions.

My conversations.

Even my driving.

I'm trying to slow it all down, because what's been "working," well, it hasn't been working for me and what I mean is that while rushing through my days checking things off the to-do-list is boast-worthy, it's not as fulfilling as genuinely connecting with people, different environments and really tuning in to and learning from all the incremental moments and individuals -- like precious children -- that make up one's day.

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Maybe it's a personality thing, or perhaps it's just a me thing, but, for some of us, motherhood on it's unwashed, day-old make-up wearing face forces us to hurry, hurry hurry.

Hurry up and get that baby out.

Hurry up and get him to latch.

Hurry up and lose the weight.

Hurry up and get that child on a schedule.

Hurry up and meet those developmental milestones.

Hurry up and teach your child a language.

Hurry up and get them into sports.

Hurry up and start worrying about what it is that they are going to put on their resumes.

Hurry up and spend time more time with them, but also hurry up and make more money so you can be more successful, wealthy and be able to send them to a prestigious university.

Hurry up and don't mess up this mothering thing because, per kid, you've only got one shot at it.

It's not anyone's fault but our own.

Most often, we generate our own expectations and put an immense amount of pressure on ourselves.

But, part of that is us trying to keep face amongst the faultfinding general public and their everpresent, unrelenting judgment.

For me, with age and the birth of my second and third child, I've gradually *tried* to slow down a bit.

It seems almost strange to think of slowing down with more kids, more responsibilities, and more activities, but that's precisely why we need to.

For families like mine, with multiple kids of varied ages, life is only going to speed up as the years go on.

And, if we keep speeding up with it, we are going to fly right out of the driver's seat of our own lives, and there will be a crash of sorts.

It's an almost guarantee.

I don't want that to happen to me.

And, I'm pretty sure you don't want that to happen to you either.

So, when everyone around you is

laying on their horn,

flippin' you the proverbial middle finger via offhanded comments,

and barking at you to hurry up,

and to keep up,

just offer up

a turtle-paced turn,

a smile,

and, without an ounce of shame, inform them that you're trying to slow down and should they ever decide to do the same, they can find plenty of space and support next to you.

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