Get it all done with ease: Embracing imperfection in motherhood

Wouldn’t it be nice if a magic wand could clean up our homes and our lives? While that’s not possible, embracing imperfection in motherhood can help us let go of unrealistic expectations and find peace in the everyday chaos.

Want to know the number one tip for getting all your housework done with ease? Call on your fairy godmother. Tell me if this sounds familiar: The sink is full, my kids haven’t eaten dinner yet, one of my kids vomited in his bed and then my younger child comes to tell me that the dog just pooped down the stairs. REALLY??!!

Cue fairy godmother . . . Hello? . . . Fairy godmother? Are you there? Oh, just me. Right. Yes, it would be wonderful if an enchanted person came along and waved a wand magically cleaning everything up. Or better yet if she just gave you your own wand to wave whenever you like. Sorry not gonna happen. But. . . You are not alone. When I used to look at my house and the mess that it was, I would make it mean that I was a mess. I’d make up some story about how I wasn’t doing a good job as a parent, partner or human. FALSE! But here’s the truth: All of us have days where the house is messy, the kids are demanding, and our to-do list seems endless. Practicing self-compassion and embracing imperfection in motherhood reminds us that we are human—and that’s enough. Your house will never be perfect. No matter how much you clean and organize and straighten there will always be more to do. Perfection is not humanly possible. Life is meant to be lived, not wasted obsessing about cleaning or beating ourselves up for not cleaning. All of us have days where we go to bed and the house is still a mess. We are moms. We have been busy with a child or children who require us physically, mentally and socially and all the ways, we also have other responsibilities. You are mom. High five yourself for that. So today, give yourself a high five. You are a parent, a creator, a teacher—and by embracing imperfection in motherhood, you’re showing your children that it’s okay to be human too. Don’t forget to be human. Don’t fall into the Cinderella trap.