I love my boys more than life itself. Truly. Like it’s borderline unhealthy the amount of love I carry in my body for those 3 humans I created. I love being a mom more than I’ve ever loved anything in all of life, and every day I am awed that I got the chance.
But if we’re being honest with each other, there are some things involved in momming that simply make us lose the will to live. And don’t you dare judge me for saying it. If you want to try to tell me that in your motherhood journey there haven’t been some things that tested your desire to keep living, then I know for sure we can’t be friends.
So keeping in mind my overwhelming, sometimes suffocating love for my babies, here are some of the things that cause me to lose the will to live in motherhood.
1. Feeding toddlers.
I mean honestly! How in the name of all that is good can it take them so long to eat such a small amount of food? And WHY is is such a struggle!? Maybe if someone had to bribe and beg me to eat 4 bites of chicken in an hour, I wouldn’t have to workout so hard.
2. Bathing more than 1 child at a time.
I actually love bath time. They’re adorable and it’s usually quite fun. But sometimes, when my youngest is standing there repeatedly slapping himself in the balls, laughing hysterically after he just dumped a bucket of water onto the floor and my lap while the other two fight over who gets to sit by the faucet, and crying over the fact that the wash cloth got wet, I feel the will to live slipping through my very fingers.
3. Brushing their teeth.
Trying to brush 3 separate sets of teeth every night and every morning… I just can’t sometimes. I’ve managed to train my older two to enjoy it (most of the time) and they don’t fight me quite as much. But my youngest… Trying to clean his teeth is like trying to convince a snapping alligator to allow me to brush its jaws. Too much!
4. Corralling everyone into the bedroom after bath time.
Something about bath time reboots toddlers. It’s like the charging station in a video game. The longer they sit in there, the more juiced they get. And then it’s like peeling them off of the walls trying to get everyone diapered and dressed. It’s during these times while my youngest is peeing on the floor as I’m breaking up a fight between what looks like two rabid monkeys fighting over a ball, that I briefly lose the will to live.
5. The transition home after being at work all day.
After I’ve been gone at work all day, the boys are pumped to the max to see me and be home. I love this! What I don’t love is that as soon as we get out of the van, it’s like someone unleashed a bag of marbles in an ice rink and I have to run around attempting to pick them all up as fast as possible lest I lose all control and everything goes to shit. Everyone is everywhere and it feels like I’m a ringmaster at the dang circus!
6. Early mornings.
Oh FOR THE LOVE! The early mornings. Having to wake up a sleeping angel at 5 or 6 in the morning is a dangerous business. I really have to “eye of the tiger” my way through it because everything, and I do mean everything, is a battle! When we have finally stopped the screaming and protesting of being alive, after I have met all the demands to turn all the lights off and fumble my way through the dark because their precious eye balls can’t yet handle the light, and in the midst of trying to accommodate each heinous request for something that of course, is wrong once I’ve gotten whatever they asked for, the will to live is gone.
7. Dressing them.
My boys have entered the “I do it myself” stage. It’s precious, really. Except when we need to actually function in the world. These days, everything I do is wrong. If I got the pants they asked for, they’re the wrong ones. If they pick them out themselves and I approve, they change their mind. If I tell them to wear socks, they act like I just told them to walk through glass. If I don’t get them socks, they act like I just gave them a brand new puppy and then took it away. It’s a losing battle. Occasionally, I get it right, and when I do…It’s like the heavens opened up and I hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Well done!”
8. Cutting their finger nails.
Why, oh why, do children have finger nails!? Doing this deed is a punishment straight from hell. They act like I’m trying to cut their finger tips off with scissors. By the end of it my stomach is in knots, I’m sweating, and my muscles are fatigued from the wrestling match. All the while, I must have on my game face and sing, “This little piggy,” in an effort to calm us all down, desperately trying to convince them that no one is going to lose any digits. That is, unless they don’t stop fighting me and wiggling their fingers and toes around in avoidance of the inevitable. Will to live=gone.
9. Being out in public with potty trainers.
I say, diapers for everyone til college! We are finally nearing the end of this race and I have to say, they are doing great. For the most part, potty training is actually strangely exciting and we all know how amazing it is when you get to celebrate your child’s bodily functions coming out in the correct places. But when we are out in public and I am juggling 3 boys plus a cart and whatever else, the last thing I want to do is haul the 4 of us into a public bathroom. I’m positive we will all die of some unknown bacterial infection from the boys frantically touching everything in sight like they’re on some kind of game show where the only rule is to Touch. Everything. The dumping of the cart; the caravanning of the crew; the intermittent, panic-stricken orders I bark as the little guy tries to catch his brothers pee and then climb under the stall… For the love of Pete, it’s a lot folks.
10. Tantrums
The wrath of a tired, hungry or otherwise dissatisfied toddler…. Well, may God have mercy on our souls.
Overall, motherhood is an absolute privilege and unbelievable joy. But these things cost me tiny bits of sanity on a daily basis. I’m sure there are others, but I don’t want to scare people off from having children, or make people think I’m not grateful for the chance to lose my sanity each day! Because I certainly am!
What tests your will to live in motherhood? We all have some things….
Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to vote!
Three Boys and a Mom 
Oh, brushing teeth and cutting fingernails can be rough. Sometimes, I cut fingernails when my kids are sleeping because it’s easier. But I agree that grooming and bedtime can make me go a little insane.
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Haha yeah…. I’ve tried nails while sleeping and it wakes them up! Its gotten better over time but it still feels like wild hog wrestling sometimes!
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I’ve tried the while they’re sleeping thing and it never works. They wake up every time!!
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Oh, boy, do I know and understand this stuff. Especially the nail-clipping! Did the sneak attack while sleeping on my older ones when they were little, and they always woke up, too! For a long time, eating was hell on earth as well. Still is at times. Lol. Thanks for an amusing, honest read! 🙂
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Haha, yep these things are tough but we manage to survive… Somehow I think I’ll miss even these things some day!
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Yes to all of the above, especially #8 – still my girls act like I am going to cut their fingers off instead of trim the nail! 😉
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Haha, it’s the worst isn’t it!?
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I completely agree with all of your list, which is why my 2 boys may not go to 3.
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Hahahaha, oh you’re funny! I understand… Although I do firmly believe the good list makes this one look like a speck!
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Daddy does the fingernails for I have given up, but I’ll swop you bath time if you come over and brush my four girl’s long hair in the mornings. They have beautiful long hair, but every single morning it’s like a war zone when we have to get all the tangles out. I smiled in sympathy with your potty training as I had three girls in nappies at one time. I’m so glad that part is over for me. Don’t worry to much, no one goes to school in nappies.
Stopping by from MeetUp Mondays.
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Haha I always say that! I’m not concerned about the potty training race even in the slightest. But they are basically potty trained at this point… just stil hold onto diapers at night and in the car mostly… but even when they wear diapers they usually keep them dry and tell me when they have to potty. It just sucks when it’s out in public haha. I am grateful to not have to wrestle girls hair. Although I can imagine how beautiful they must be! 🙂
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Hahaha!! All so true! I feel my sanity slipping at least twice a day. I don’t even bother clipping their nails-I file them with a glass file. I’m too afraid to use actual clippers! And what’s with the suggested bath before bedtime to soothe the kids?! It never calms my kids down, like yours, mine are more jacked then before the bath. Because bath time is too much fun!!
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You are so right. Bath time is very fun and there is nothing about it that soothes them to sleep. They all get recharged like energizer bunnies at the charging deck! But I still love it mostly… I tried the filing thing but they won’t hold still long enough. They’ve gotten much better with the clipping and I’ve gotten much quicker haha…but it’s still a challenge! Motherhood is so full of fun! 🙂
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OMG I don’t know how you do it – and blog! I won’t call you supermom, but you’re pretty super! So nice to meet you!
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Aww that means so much!!! Thank you…. I mostly don’t sleep! Haha… I’ll sleep when I’m dead 🙂 You’re pretty super too and I’m so glad our paths have crossed! Thanks for swinging through! 🙂
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This is awesome, and so, so bang on LOL You’re doing a great job Rachael!
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Oh thank you brittany!!! I so appreciate you reading and commenting 🙂
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omg the eating gets me every night!!!! And what’s wise is when we go out to eat and for some reason my daughter will wait until everyone is finished eating to finally start on her plate -_- ughhhh….lol
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Oh my gosh the boys do that every night too. Right at the last minute they start eating… I’m pulling the plug! Things are gonna change up in here and I’m not playing these games anymore haha 🙂
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I do enjoy your blog. I am a grandmother but I feel your pain. My grandsons are 2 and 4. And the 2 y old is a terrorist. He terrorizes his older brother.
I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
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Haha thank you. Kids can be a challenge for sure, but man, they are so worth it all! 🙂
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Marbles on an ice rink!! Amazing!! LOL.
My sanity saver during potty training (and since) has been amazon prime! Check it out!! xo
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Haha thank you, I think I will! They’re doing pretty great at home with poty training but man, why must we have to go in public???
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I think early mornings is my biggest one. I simply canNOT. The feeding toddlers is so funny–I don’t know how it takes my 2 1/2 year old so damn long to eat a tiny amount of food, but I tell you what, put a cookie in front of that girl and it’s gone in 10 seconds flat. I’m onto her.
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Hahaha….it’s so true. How is it the sweet stuff can be gone before we even notice yet the chicken takes hours upon hours?? We know their game… And yes, early mornings are brutal with toddlers sometimes!!!
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Ha ha. Great list. I have developed good patience with my daughter now but I just have to deal with one kid for now. You are raising up three. So I bet u go through a lot of patience testing than I do. For me the toughest time is when I am back from work. I am so tired and I understand she wants to spend time with me and then I have to cook too. Its just not so easy. Ither Other than that I do have few moments when I really wish to vanish away for atleast five minutes.
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Haha, motherhood is filled with opportunities to grow our patience, and I am certainly in no shortage. But the beautiful moments far outweigh the patience testers and I wouldn’t trade any of it for anything! Thanks for reading and commenting Jaya!
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Yes yes YES, everything seems like a battle these days. My anxiety is at an all-time high as a toddler mom haha. Thanks so much for linking up at MeetUp Monday, and hope to see you again next week!
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Aww haha glad I’m not alone. Thank you!!! ❤
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