Sometimes, life just plain sucks. Babies get sick, husbands get the man flu, and mommy has to take care of all the things. Jobs don’t go as planned or hoped, and worst of all, everything seems to happen all at once. This about sums up the beginning of 2018 for me. I could retreat and be depressed, chalking it up to being a bad year and start looking forward to 2019 (I don’t think anyone would blame me). Or I could take a new approach, an approach based on positivity and productivity. If you can’t beat it, learn from it.
- Be more prepared for the worst
My one year old recently came down with RSV and ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. I didn’t realize how unprepared we were for something like this to happen, until it did. Taking a baby to the ER in the middle of the night and being told you won’t be going home anytime soon was a real kick in the face. It was even more fun to see the “overnight bag” my husband came back with. Note to self: Always have an emergency bag packed with necessities. Think hospital bag style. You never know when you will (hopefully never) need it.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help
We are so lucky that we have grandparents, on both sides, who will drop everything to pitch in when the worst happens. Everyone needs an emergency plan in place: a friend, a family member, someone who can help if you need it, and ESPECIALLY if you have more than one child. We all need help sometime, don’t be afraid to ask. Don’t have anyone? I’ll do it!
- Have some empathy
This can be really difficult for me when people are sick. I am a nurse and you become a little desensitized when people are sick, at least I have. I make it a point to try and be at least somewhat empathetic when my husband is sick, as hard as it is. Whether this means letting him sleep in, or not rolling my eyes when he needs to nap. He doesn’t get sick often, so I guess I can give him a little break for a week or so.
- Talk it out
Do not be afraid to vent. We all need it sometimes. This might even mean writing angry things down in a journal no one else will ever see them. Think 9th grade Lisa Frank diary with a lock. The point is – get it out. For me, it’s easier to talk to friends; they are impartial and will listen without judgement. They are also moms as well and reaffirm that I am insane.
At the end of the day, we can’t completely avoid the worst things happening. The best advice I can give is, just go with it. Take it a day at a time and remember that things will eventually get back to normal, even if that is a new normal. What are you go-to words of advice when you are trudging through the rough stuff?
