Stress a Good Thing?

They say a little stress is a good thing. But how much, I wonder? Over time, my definition of stress has changed dramatically. Beyond the things we all worry about, such as food, shelter, health and bills, I now worry about feeding my kids (and my husband and I), keeping my kids safe, potty training, sleep training, nap time, doing the laundry, cleaning the kitchen, ensuring our house doesn't stink like dirty diapers, etc. etc. Like most things, you can't know what it's like until you experience it for your self.

Some folks think stay-at-home moms have a pretty good deal. We get to make our own schedule and rules, do what we want, go where we want, all while clocking quality hours in front of the TV eating bon bons (of course). Others, such as a lovely construction worker man who let me load the kids and the gear into the car today before returning to his loud side walk work, think that my job is harder than his. I told him I miss the office. He replied that was cause for concern.

It really depends what time of day you catch me at, because at some moments, I am so happy to be home with my wonderful and beautiful children, at others I am barely holding it together and wishing I could just disappear. I am told this is normal. My main goal is to try and ensure there is more bliss than stress. This, however, is hard to remember when you have a toddler sitting on the potty whining at you and a baby in a bouncy chair full on crying at you. There's a reason they say patience is a virtue. But we soldier on...because that what Mamas do.