How Being Present Makes You a Better Mom

Being Present. What does it mean to you? Is it putting down your phone at dinner time? Or is getting down on your kid’s level and playing without a care? This has been one of my most frequent thoughts as we’ve rolled into 2017. I picked up the book, Present Over Perfect, and I can’t wait to read it. But it’s already got me thinking, which I love! 

To me, being present all the time is so difficult. I’m constantly thinking of all the things that have to get done: laundry, dishes, blog posts, errands, work, playing with my babies, the gym … in no special order but all things that need to get done none-the-less. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with all the THINGS that need to be done that none of it actually ends up getting accomplished at all. Or I’ll get into the endless mindsuck that is Instagram and Facebook….minutes to hours of wasted time where something better could’ve been done. And let’s be real, sometimes the internet is great, but sometimes it’s only something that makes you compare yourself to others, and who needs that?

So I’ve decided to set my intentions; to decide on what is truly important to me and what I should dedicate my time to. My babies are priority number one and should be who I am most focused on. As they grow, I know that I’ll never get THIS time back again. This time where they are little seems so overwhelming, but this season of life will be gone before I know it. The dishes and laundry can wait ’til later if needed. My babies won’t remember the clean house, but they will remember the times where we had tea parties and played outside in the sand ’til the sun went down.

I’ve made it a goal to quit reading books on my phone/kindle and to start buying physical books again. Your kids can’t tell when you’re reading on your phone… and remember, they learn by example. I’ve started spending about 30-45 minutes after the babes go to bed to pick up the house so that we always have a fresh start in the morning but I’m not taking away family time by cleaning all day. And in our house, dinnertime is always at the table if possible and no technology is allowed. It’s probably my favorite part of the day because we get to catch up with Daddy who gets home from work and share about our days with no interruptions. 

I challenge you to decide what/who is most deserving of your time and to be present for the things and people you love the most. Be active in your life and don’t let it just pass you by.  You only get one shot so make it good! 

xoxo, Ashley

All Photos by Topher DeLancy Photography