If you feel like you've learned a lot about yourself, your family, and the world in the last few years, you're not alone. Put in an impossible situation, many people have had no choice but to adapt.
Although moms have largely made it through this time feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and burned out, there have been some upsides. This learning experience has actually made us better in some areas we may have previously struggled in. Where we see change and worry, it is sometimes actually growth we have yet to recognize.
If it feels like a reach, check out these skills and see if you feel like you've stepped up your mom game in these areas.
Moms learned the art of taking breaks.
The nonstop feeling of everything that has happened has made one thing glaringly obvious to moms: You can't just keep going and going. Many women who would otherwise have not made time to prioritize self-care — be it a cup of coffee, a nap, or a walk — have had to find ways to.
Moms also learned how many luxuries they enjoy in their own lives.
As moms have made ways to enjoy their favorite things, in whatever little capacity that is possible, we've gotten better at being grateful for even the smallest thing. On a day when you're annoyed that the only "me time" you're getting is a few minutes hiding in your bathroom with a bag of chocolate, you remember all the moms who can't even get that much and realize things could be worse.
We're more involved in our kids' education.
No parent enjoyed remote learning by any stretch of the imagination. Some moms found themselves learning a lot about what their children are like as students. In learning to be more engaged with our kids' education, for better or worse we realized how to best get through to them and help them thrive academically. It's made a difference for many families.
We're making bread, for reasons we don't entirely understand.
I get we all needed an at-home activity, and for some reason, making bread was it. It's not exclusively a mom skill, but many moms have found themselves with a newfound love for baking since the pandemic started.
Moms have learned to make peace with screen time.
Pre-pandemic, it felt like the battle between parents and screen time was hitting a fever pitch. We were all overwhelmed with the incessant Roblox/Minecraft/TikTok talk. COVID made many of us rethink our positions on this. Not only that, but in some cases we also embraced and joined our kids in these activities to see the value in them, which is pretty eye-opening.
We've learned to let go of perfectionism.
Competitive parents, perfectionist parents, and the kids inclined to please them all got a reality check by the forced slowdown of life as we knew it. It's taught all of us that everything can't be just so and that no amount of preparing will leave you ready for everything.
Tomorrow is a new day.
In the thick of things, when a day felt like a thousand days — or even today, when some news about the latest developments can get your head spinning — getting through the day could feel like an accomplishment. In this, we've hopefully learned to let ourselves have that as a little win, especially when it feels like nothing else is going right.
