With St. Patrick’s Day comes plenty of green, but what if you’d rather have gold? You’ll need to set a few leprechaun traps to find out where the elusive pot o’ gold is hiding (hint: it’s not at the end of the rainbow). We’ve got the best tutorial on how to make a leprechaun trap, so give it your luckiest shot!

Looking for other fun St. Patrick’s Day activities for kids? Check out our favorite St. Patrick’s Day crafts, St. Patrick’s Day science experiments, and the best St. Patrick’s Day jokes for kids.

What You Need to Make a Leprechaun Trap

A cardboard box or shoebox
A stick (or pencil in a pinch)
A pillowcase
Food (see below)
Optional: some sparkle

Leprechaun Trap Step One: Make the Bait

Rainbow rice krispies are fun for a leprechaun trap
The Gracious Wife

Leprechauns, despite the rumors, do not subsist on pints of Guinness and shamrock-shaped cookies alone. They like a variety of foods, but most of all they appreciate a rainbow of flavors like the ones found in these rainbow recipes. Bonus: you get to keep the leftovers. This can be the most time-consuming step. If you are in a hurry, just grab a pack of Skittles and move on to step two. 

Step Two: Make the Leprechaun Trap

little boy who made a leprechaun trap
Amber Guetebier

The leprechaun is usually just under a foot high, although the size varies depending on age (they shrink as they get older) and origin.* So the best method here is a simple box trap. 

Get a smallish box, like a shoebox. A plain box works fine but if you want to increase your odds of getting a leprechaun,  paint the box green, a color most pleasing to them. Decorate it with anything that gives it that special glitz: glitter, coins, gemstones, or just an artistic use of the brush. 

Find a stick or pencil to prop the box up. You can even use a piece of cardboard, cleverly disguised as a friendly sign.

 

Step Three: Add Bait to Your Leprechaun Trap

Place the “bait” on a plate underneath the lid. No string is needed. Once the leprechaun takes his first bite of your delicious food, he’ll dance with joy. This dance almost always leads to kicking the stick over. Voila. He is trapped. If you’ve got preschoolers, how cute is this printable bait template from Mama Cheaps for leprechaun traps?

Hint: Don’t bother waiting up for the leprechaun. They never show under a watchful eye.

Related: 17 Easy St. Patrick’s Day Crafts That’ll Bring You Luck

Step Four: Get the Gold

Wait at least three hours before checking your leprechaun trap, but if you can, wait a full night. (Parents, you can leave a small note or coin in place of the treat from the escaped wee man). If your trap is empty, better luck next year. If, however, you caught your leprechaun, you’ll need to transfer it from the trap into your home. Use a soft pillowcase, and scoop up the entire box including (hopefully) the leprechaun. Remember, your goal here is to get him to reveal the location of his gold, not bring harm to him. Be firm but kind, and be persistent.

More Tips for Your Leprechaun Traps

Once you have him inside, lock your doors and close your windows. Leprechauns are master escape artists.

Be ready to barter. They are very clever and can trick you out of just about anything, but you will need to offer something in exchange for the gold (i.e., his freedom). Do not believe him when he tells you it’s “at the end of the rainbow.” They like silky fabrics, velvet, and shiny things.

Be sure you have enough food: they can eat an incredible amount of food, so be ready to lay out a feast or at the very least, a decent tea party.

If you can get them to tell you where the gold is, you truly have the luck of the Irish!

*While it was once true that a leprechaun could only be found in Ireland, there are generations of leprechauns that have naturalized in the woods, parks, and gardens across America. Rumors of how leprechauns came to the U.S. include stowing away in luggage, sliding across rainbows (totally unfounded), and the most plausible: paid passage. They are, after all, in possession of copious amounts of gold.

Editor’s note: No leprechauns were harmed in the making of this article. 

Brrr! Baby, it’s cold outside. But have no fear. Even when the weather’s chilly and you’re snowed in, there’s lots that you and your little one can do to fight cabin fever and explore the winter wonderland. Here you’ll find nine of our favorite snow day activities for babies and young toddlers.

1. Indoor Beach Day

It’s too cold outside for swimwear, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go swimming. Try a mid-day bath to break up tired routines. Most babies adore water play anytime. Throw in a few plastic cups and floating ducks and you have the makings of your own beach party.

2. Shadow Puppet Show

When it’s dark and dreary outside, lights shine even more brightly inside. Bust out the flashlights and shadow puppets and impress your little one with an oversized bunny hopping across the wall and the silly interpretive dance her teddy bear can do under the spotlight.

3. Sensory Play with Snow

Snow can be used in place of sand or play dough, at least until it melts. Scoop up a bunch and bring it inside. Then, set your little one up on towels, get out measuring cups and spoons, and watch your baby build, scoop, and explore the squishy, cold wonder. You can find eight more fun snow sensory play ideas here.

4. Play With Your Food

When you’re trapped inside, sometimes you need to throw the rules out the window. Plain yogurt with a little food coloring added in makes the perfect medium for finger painting. Edible play dough is also easy to mix up. Try this simple oatmeal dough or a brightly-colored mix with Kool-Aid.

5. Go Sledding

They may not be ready to careen down hills, but little ones sitting up independently can chill in a sled, like this one, and enjoy the snow. Bundle up your babe and play Rudolph by pulling them around with a rope. Bonus: you get to battle cabin fever with a little exercise.

6. Snow is Your Canvas

Take a cue from childhood fave The Snow Day and head outside to make tracks in the fresh, pristine snow. Pull on snow boots and stomp around. Budding walkers love to follow a trail or build a new one. Then, make patterns in the snow by drawing lines with a stick.

7. Bubbles

Blow a few bubbles inside for instant baby-mesmerizing magic. Then, if you’re willing to brave the chilly weather, go outside and make your own frozen bubbles. The temperature needs to be 10 degrees Fahrenheit or below for the trick to work. If that’s too cold for you, create semi-solid creations indoors by carefully freezing soap bubbles on a plate in your own freezer.

8. Paint Some Snow

Sometimes the best canvas for a young toddler is a frosty one. Bundle up your little Picasso to sit in the snow outside or fill a bin with snow for some indoor artistry. Now fill a few bowls with water and a few drops of a different food color in each to create the “paint.” Give your baby or toddler a paintbrush and let them craft a melty masterpiece. Bonus: No worries if they taste the paints.

9. Dance Party

If all else fails, turn up the tunes and boogie!

There are lots of things we try to escape in Atlanta—heat, mosquitoes and traffic all come to mind—so it’s funny that our town is so wild over getting into Atlanta’s best escape rooms! Maybe it’s because you play only with your group, or perhaps because its air conditioned, but we think Atlanta is wild for escape rooms because they’re just so fun. Keep reading for our favorite escape rooms geared towards the kids, below.

Time to Escape

Featuring four fun escape experiences, which are now all private for your group only—including Al Capone's Speakeasy which features an in-room actor—Time to Escape gives players feedback on their acuity and the level of difficulty of their mission. Generally for between 2-14 players, these escape rooms include a Western, Alcatraz, Egyptian, and Speakeasy theme.

1441 Dresden Dr #230
Brookhaven
678-705-4320
Online: itstimetoescape.com

Big Escape Rooms

Big Escape Rooms offers adventures where players find clues, crack codes and use their sleuth prowess to solve a series of puzzles within 60 minutes to escape a themed room. With the clock counting down, you may make it, you may not—but one thing is for sure: you’re going to have fun! Of their four rooms, the beginner level—The Basketball escape room—is best for families with kids. It was initially designed for the Atlanta Hawks and built inside of Philips Arena in Downtown Atlanta. The story goes that your team has been trapped inside the locker room and it’s 45-minutes until game time. The coach always hides a spare key, so you have to find it in time to get your team out on the court or will you be forced to forfeit the game.

Big Escape Rooms
444 Highland Ave. NE 4th floor
Old Fourth Ward
678-800-0701
Online: bigescaperooms.com

 

Breakout Games

Whether you choose to play in person (always your group only) or virtually, Breakout Games offers you tons of rooms to choose among—and most are suitable for kids. For 60 minutes, experience immersive entertainment with friends and family, escape normal life, and be the hero of the story. Explore an island, find the kidnapper, restore ancient relics to their rightful owner, and more. For train lovers, this one has a Runaway Train experience that you don't want to miss! 3867 Roswell Rd. NE Buckhead 404-800-9207 Online: breakoutgames.com

Paranoia Quest

Paranoia Quest Whether you have Harry Potter fans, kids who would fearlessly face the Zombie Apocalypse, or detectives-in-training, this downtown location (there's one in Buford, too) will meet your escape room needs. Playing only those in your group, you'll spend 60 minutes trying to solve a challenge that's not built to be scary. 72 Broad St. SW Downtown 678-310-8735 Online: paranoiaquest.com

Amazing Escape

With only 45 minutes, you'll have to work fast to get out of that mountain cabin where you're trapped. And figure out how to save everyone from a mysterious virus. And get out of being convicted for a crime you didn't commit. Best of luck at this Norcross venue. 6040 Unity Dr. Suite C Norcross 470-294-0480 Online: amazingescapegame.com

Urban Escape Games

Investigate something fishy going on in a big-business run space station. Catch a jewel thief in the act. Unlock a researcher from a time warp. This Alpharetta and Marietta operation is "HR" and "Family" safe, so you'll find no scary or lewd surprises when you go. 20 Mansell Ct. East, Suite #275 Alpharetta 678-805-2189 Online: urbanescapegames.com

Featured photo via iStock.

—Shelley Massey

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baby and mother

photo: Guillaume de Germain via Unsplash

After many years of feeling drained as a partner and a mom, I decided to take my life back and stop going through the motions.

At some point, I lost a bit of myself along the way of raising my children.

I let go of my passions and only focused on what made my children happy. And the funny thing is, I didn’t even know it.

Years later, upon deep reflection, I realized and recognized the loss I was feeling.

I let go of me.

I stopped living for me and only woke up each day wondering how to make the lives of the people around me more fulfilled.

I let go of me.

I started to become a shell of a person simply going through the motions rather than living life each day. Even before the pandemic, I felt I was living day after day the same life over and over again.

I let go of me.

I didn’t wake up refreshed, ready to take on the day, rather I was tirelessly traipsing through the day with little to no emotion.

I let go of me.

I was trapped inside my own shell, knowing the walls to escape could be broken down, but no one could reach in and help me.

I had to emerge on my own.

And that, my friends, is exactly what I did.

I reached deep into my soul and pulled out the old wounds and dealt with them face to face.

I slowly started to find me.

I gently traveled to the parts that I had been missing, brushed myself off while being wrapped in a warm embrace, and invited myself back in again.

I slowly started to find me again.

I essentially stopped living life going through the motions.

I started living and I let go of the guilt.

I let go of the looming thoughts that burdened me. I stopped feeling selfish for the times I was making myself happy.

I slowly started to find me again.

I started living for my family as a whole.

Not just living for my husband. Not just going about my day for my children. But for me also. For the first time, I was living for all of us collectively.

I slowly started to find me again.

Life has not changed drastically, but how I look at my life has been altered.

Each day I am presented with decisions to make and I am living within the decisions, feeling each and every part of the day.

I am not going through the motions of filling a void in the hollow of the shell that once existed.

And oh, what a blessing it has been.

I found me!

This post originally appeared on Hang in there mama.

 

 

Ali Flynn Is excited to share with you the joys and hardships of motherhood with an open heart, laughter and some tears. Ali is a monthly guest contributor for Westchester County Mom  and has been seen on Filter Free Parents, Grown and Flown, Today Parents and Her View From Home.

This year will be remembered as many things, but one of them will be the year that the word “lockdown” became a pervasive part of our lexicon. The world’s first glimpse into what life almost permanently inside might be like was when chilling photos emerged from China of apartment doors being welded shut. It could never happen to us, though, thought many of us, here in the West at the time. Boy, were we wrong. 

I’m from Melbourne, Australia, the city that has to date endured the world’s longest and strictest lockdowns. Right now, we have technically eliminated the coronavirus, an enviable achievement indeed. But what we had to endure to get here was crushing, oppressive and, quite frankly, one of the biggest challenges I think most parents have ever faced. Despite that, my main takeaway has been that it has made me a better parent. Here’s why. 

When our premier first announced that we would enter our second lockdown in July (after already having endured a 50-day lockdown earlier in the year), parents everywhere in my state let out a collective moan. The lockdown we entered, which became increasingly stricter over the weeks that would follow, involved all children learning from home, all parents working from home, the closure of all restaurants, and the closure of most outdoor public spaces (including all playgrounds, which were taped shut with barricade tape). Initially, the lockdown was meant to last 42 days. 42 days at home with the kids and not much to do, I bemoaned. Netflix will get a workout, I thought to myself.

Unlike the first lockdown, which had a sense of novelty to it, this second lockdown, which it seemed only Melbourne was experiencing, was deeply depressing. As days melted into weeks and weeks melted into months, it became obvious that we weren’t beating the coronavirus. As such, our government made the lockdown even stricter. After about five weeks, we were only allowed out of our house for one hour a day, and we were not to go more than five kilometers from our homes (and we weren’t allowed to drive to the local park, either. Driving to exercise wasn’t allowed). We were only allowed to go to the grocery store once a day and we had to go alone. Councils even taped off local park benches so we couldn’t sit on them. 

In the beginning, I have to say, I was a terrible parent. Every morning I would be glued to my phone, checking the latest coronavirus numbers and getting stressed about our lack of progress, all the while totally ignoring my children. After I’d checked the news, I’d inevitably get trapped in a cycle of feeling sorry for myself. Everyone in Australia (and seemingly, the world) was out enjoying their summers and living their lives, while I couldn’t even go back to the grocery store if I forgot something. My children, aged two and four, would inevitably get sick of their toys, books, and YouTube by lunchtime, and we’d all spend the afternoon frustrated and over it. It seemed like we’d tried every craft activity, we’d baked every cake, and we had built every blanket fort there was to build. They were over it. I was over it. I started to get a tiny bit resentful of all the non-parents in my network. They could get fit, learn a new skill, or even write a book! I remember thinking, while I’m stuck at home arranging toy cars in a line for the twenty billionth time. 

About six weeks after the lockdown started, I woke up with a bit of scratchy throat. Throughout the day, it got quite a bit worse. I was absolutely terrified that I had caught the virus, and even more terrified that I’d somehow passed it to my unwell father, who I had been caring for and would be considered high risk if he caught it. I also knew that if I had it, I’d have to quarantine myself in a bedroom for two weeks so I wouldn’t pass it on to my family. That thought terrified me too. My husband’s job didn’t enable him to look after the kids and at that time, babysitters weren’t allowed, so I had no idea what we would do. 

I lined up for three hours that afternoon and got the test. They said it would only take 24 hours to get the results. I went straight home to bed and didn’t sleep at all that night. What if? 

The next morning, my test results arrived. Negative. I was so relieved. And suddenly, what stretched out in front of me didn’t seem like such an ordinary day. It seemed like a day where I could be profoundly grateful for what I did have. 

After my coronavirus scare, my attitude toward being stuck at home did change for the better. There were many days where we did the same things and I can’t say I found them any more interesting. But there were also some quiet moments when my children were playing together where instead of feeling frustrated, I just felt lucky. Lucky to have two healthy children. Lucky that my family was safe. And lucky, I think, that when the lockdown did eventually end after a punishing 112 days, the outside world waiting for me would seem even more vivid and exciting than ever before. 

In our most frustrating moments, when every day is the same and it feels like there is no hope in sight, it is difficult to be a great parent. But what lockdown taught me was that my children were better—and I felt better—when we tried to be grateful.

Teigan is a passionate nature lover, traveller, ballet dancer, writer, mom, wife and the proud co-founder of Ethicool Books. After losing her mom when her son was five weeks old, she's determined to make the world a better place by encouraging children to take action on the world's big issues.

It’s okay, to not be okay.

I want you to close your eyes after reading this sentence and sit and ponder on it for a moment.

What if your child you dreamed of in your belly came out, learned everything that they should, and then one day stopped and went back to a baby cognitively?

Now really close your eyes and think about it. It could be your infant, 5-year-old, 16-year-old, or even your grandchild. Just imagine it.

This is called regression.

Now, stay with me.

One day I woke up and my beautiful son changed, like a switch of a light, to a person I didn’t know. He went from being an 18-month-old toddler back to a 6-month-old baby.

I know you’re thinking how can a child just change overnight? How do they go from saying da-da and looking into your eyes and answering to their name to being a statue of a person they once were?

Every day since then, I can see the light from the goodness of God through my son’s eyes. I can’t see him in his eyes and he can’t see me in mine. But I can see God. I can see and hear angels playing beautiful music through his eyes into mine.

You see, my boy isn’t like your boy and he never will. He’s trapped in a body with zero communication, no understanding of the world around him. He has low functioning Autism. My son cannot feed himself or change his clothes, point to anything. He doesn’t even know what the word momma is.

He’s never said momma. Will he ever say it to me? I pray every day I don’t have to wait until heaven to hear it. I try to understand this and how this happened but I can’t and I know there is a reason why Jameson was made this way. I will be asking God as soon as I meet him, you can bet on that.

Most days I can find the happiness and the joy and watch him be happy and stim to his favorite shows. When I see his nose crinkle from belly laughter as his daddy is tickling him.

That is most days.

Today isn’t that day. And a person in my life told me something recently that I will never forget. This life is hard. It brings you to your knees and knocks the wind out of you hard most days. But it’s okay, to not be okay.

We don’t have to pretend it’s a joy to have a child who bangs their head on the wall or screams non stop just because they like the way it feels on their vocal cords. ITS OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY! I refuse to pretend and paint a picture that every day I find the joy. I can’t and I won’t.

I have accepted that this is my forever. I will always fight for my son and his quality of life and I will be happy when we have our victories, but man, some nights when he goes to bed, I can cry and ask why and cry some more.

But I get up the next day and carry on.

But please special needs parents remember this, it’s okay to not be okay.

I'm a stay at home mom to 3 young children. Blakely, our daughter, is 4. We have twin 3 year old boys named Lucas and Jameson. I've been married to my husband Logan for 6 years. Both of our boys have special needs. 

Any of you moms able to relate to feeling alone, confused, overwhelmed, desperate—like, at the same time? How about afraid, depressed tense, trapped and angry—about one situation?

These emotions are only a few of the feely things we tend to hide beneath our mask of contentment. These are also just a few of the things we should start getting real honest about it in our real life as a real mom. Eventually, all the fake it ’til we make it holding us together is going to unravel anyway.

So, for the love of all things mushy, mixed up, maddening, magical, melodramatic and magnificent, just when will we feel safe being honest about how we’re feeling as a mom? Why do we pretend to be all variations of “fine” when we are fully aware that vanilla does not accurately depict our frame of mind?

Regardless of why we pretend, the important thing is what we choose to do about it. I believe the best gift we can give ourselves and others is to be authentic about all the feels swirling inside us. Choosing to be vulnerable creates a wellspring of healing salve for everyone—which goes a forever way since we tend to carry the weight of ten worlds on our shoulders.

So how do we do the I’m gonna tell it like it is thing? Where do we get the courage and resolve to wear our diary on our sleeve?

First, we need to call our own bluff and consider the lunacy of our pretending. The mom dictionary says this about the phrase “I’m fine”: liar liar, yoga pants on fire. We should also call our counterpart moms bluff because they are often fibbing right along with us.

Next, we should consider the lyrics in a popular song by a musical legend. You may not have considered Prince to be a pillar of wisdom for mothers and our mushy insides, but I think he’s genius. Consider his words in Let’s Go Crazy (no irony in this song title either):

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.” 

(cue deep organ sounds)

Emphasis on we are gathered—emphasis on WE specifically.

Laser focus on we, as in not me or I.

As in together we get through this thing called life. As in together is how we get through motherhood.

The Creator kinda sorta had this communal vibe in mind from the beginning. And as mamas, we need other moms in the village to help us village. We cannot do this mothering gig solo, at least not very well.

The thing is, there’s no magic in the masquerading for us or for the person asking the question, especially if she is another mom. If we use smoke and mirrors, she’ll likely stuff her true feelings back down to match our perceived confidence and joy.

Let’s get real for ourselves and for each other. The next time someone asks us how we’re feeling, let’s tell the truth. We shouldn’t be surprised when the person asking says, “Me too.” It is from this shared and sacred space we can strengthen one another and heal.

A self-described “sappy soul whisperer/sarcasm aficionado,” Shelby is a wife of 27 years & mom of three millennials. She co-authored How Are You Feeling, Momma? (You don't need to say, "I'm fine.") Her stories are in print at Guideposts, online at sites like Her View From Home and Parenting Teens & Tweens, and at shelbyspear.com. Get 3 FREE chapters of Shelby's book

Summer is here, and parents of young children are asking the question, “What is the right age for swimming lessons?”

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most children under the age of four are not developmentally ready to learn to swim; the age to master the crawl is actually between 5 and 6. That leads to the next question, “What about water safety and aquatic classes?”

While in the past, the Academy was stringent in not recommending swim and aquatic safety programs before four, they have become more relaxed in their guidelines for children between the ages of one and four. It is important to note, though, that these programs are not proven to decrease the risk of drowning and are not a substitute for adult supervision in the water at all times. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children in almost all age groups, so vigilance is critical.

Here are some basic things to remember to ensure safety for your children in or near water:

Always follow touch supervision, which means you are within touching reach of your child at all times in or near water.

Unless you are strictly enforcing touch supervision, do not rely on floaties or tubes to prevent drowning, but use Coast Guard approved safety devices. Children left alone with floaties or non-approved floatation devices can actually get trapped upside down in the water.

If you do enroll your child in aquatic classes, remember that while they may acclimate your child and make them more relaxed in the water, they can also reduce your child’s fear of water which can increase the likelihood that they go in or near water unsupervised. These programs can also make parents over-confident, which may reduce their own vigilance around pools and bodies of water. That said, check out your communities offerings, verify the credentials of their staff, and discover for yourself the benefits of what activities they have to offer.

If you are a pool owner, be sure that the pool is surrounded on four sides (the house should not be one of the sides) by a locked, at least four-foot high fence. For above ground pools, be sure to remove the ladder when the pool is not in use. And use a pool cover, as they add a second layer of protection. Be aware of all access that children have to nearby lakes, ponds, and streams and supervise accordingly.

Having grown up learning to swim in the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, then spending my summer days at the local city swimming pool, I am a water lover. As such, I was quick to share my passion for swimming and water play with my children and grandchildren as I am sure you are too. Have fun. It’s possible for parents and children to enjoy the water, and have a healthy dose of caution at the same time.

I am a parent and grandparent with over four decades of experience in early childhood education. I share my passion, wisdom and experience, with parents and the people who care for and about children at Little Folks Big Questions, where we're out to answer the questions parents face in today's world.

With Christmas around the corner, the Elf on the Shelf is pretty much all over your house. If you’re running low on imaginative Elf ideas, turn on YouTube—and trap the little guy in your TV (or laptop).

Elf on the Shelf trapped in the TV isn’t exactly a brand-new invention. A quick YouTube search will reveal plenty of pages of adorable TV test pattern clips with the words, “I hit the wrong button on the remote…How do i get out of here?” and a pic of the Elf himself.

YouTuber Aaron Holm posted a trapped Elf video back in 2015, writing in the clips’s description, “So, I made this a few years ago just for my family. Since it seems to be gaining views of late, I just thought I’d write a little description. I wasn’t forward thinking when making this. I made it for 10 minutes only so if you need longer either pause it or slow the playback speed to gain extra time.”

With less than a week until Santa arrives, give your kiddo a laugh with this trapped TV test pattern Elf. If you’re looking for a longer version, check out this hour-long clip!

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Heather Nicholson via YouTube

 

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I had heard about mom guilt. My first encounter with it was interviewing for a nanny job at the age of 22 where I tried to empathize with the mom as a young adult, and not an ounce of mom experience. I had no grasp of the weight of what she was saying until I too became a mom and my guilt started dragging me down.

As a stay at home mom, I certainly may not experience mom guilt in the working-mom sense brought on by the fear of missing milestones, not being able to kiss every boo-boo, or missing the tickles and giggles that fill each day but I have guilt and it comes from a very different place. As a stay at home mom, I am lonely, anxious, and well…bored. The daily anxiety of needing to do more, contribute more, and feel important fills my mind. Trust me, I know what you are thinking! Being a mom and raising good humans is beyond important and totally checks all the above-mentioned criteria. But knowing this does not take away the monotony of the job. So, I feel guilty as hell! I am a child specialist for crying out loud, so what gives?

Before I had kids, I had a prestigious job of running private early education facilities and loved it. I worked hard to put myself through college and grad school while being a full-time teacher’s assistant and then climbed the ladder to Director. It made me feel important and the continuous dialogue with colleagues and peers was mentally stimulating.

So when I embarked on the motherhood journey, I found it exciting and all-encompassing, and I jumped in with both feet the minute my baby was a ball of cells in my womb. My old life, as I knew it, was a distant memory. This continued for a while, but slowly the anxiety coupled with the monotony of the day-to-day began to buzz in my mind like a trapped summer fly in the house. Every day was the same: waking up, making breakfast, packing lunch, school drop off, park times, play dates, snacks, cleaning up, storytimes, building Legos, playing dolls, cooking dinner. The list went on and on of a never-ending schedule and constantly diffusing tantrums. The thoughts of wanting to leave my house, brainstorm with like-minded people, and yearning to be involved in something exciting crept in, and then the guilt began to build.

A terrible feeling of mom guilt sat with me like acid reflux after a fast-food binge. I felt guilty for wanting more. I felt guilty looking for jobs and going on interviews, to only talk myself out of actually taking positions when it came time to assess the childcare logistics; which in turn made me feel even more trapped.

Then one day, after some heavy in-and-exhales, I decided to give myself a mental break. The realization that I can love my kids just as much as a stay at home mom and still have a life outside of them was freeing. Wanting more is okay. Going back to work is okay. Utilizing some of the “ it takes a village” we desperately need to raise our kids is okay.

To all the stay at home moms, who are struggling with staying at home, I get it. You are not alone. We all know that you love your children. We all know you are grateful for your children. We all know there is nothing you love more than your children. With all that, we also know to stay at home is isolating and lonely, so it’s okay if at some point you are ready to do something that isn’t staying at home with the kids.

Hello! My name is Brittany and I am the creator of Mama Bear Britt! I am a child development specialist, former preschool director and mama of two littles. I am working hard to create a place for parents to gather, learn and share. Join my tribe!