10/16/2025
Today I dropped my kids at daycare even though I wasn’t working… and it was exactly what we all needed.
I have the day off today (technically because I’m working this weekend 😅), and when I told my son’s daycare I wasn’t working, my husband said he wouldn’t have mentioned that part.
But here’s the thing, I have zero regrets dropping my kids off and spending the day recharging solo.
Because motherhood takes energy. A lot of it. My kids fill my heart, but they also drain my battery (easily 75% of it on any given day) and that means I have to be intentional about charging back up.
Filling my own cup doesn’t mean I love them less. It’s how I love them better.
After a year postpartum with my second, I finally feel like I’m getting my spark back. I’m reading for fun again, enjoying cooking, hopping on my bike because I want to move, not because I “should.” I’m scrolling less, noticing what triggers me, and actually missing my kids during the day.
To some, this might look selfish. “If you’re not working, why aren’t you with your kids?”
But I see it differently. This is what it looks like to mother myself, too.
Do I still get those twinges of guilt? Of course. Last night while watching Love Is Blind, someone said, “I’d never let someone else raise my kid,” and I felt that pang… that “should I have stayed home?” moment.
But here’s the truth I’ve landed on: Motherhood is hard no matter your situation. Whether you’re home full-time or working full-time, we all question if we’re doing it “right.”
I choose to fill myself up when I can - to ride my bike, breathe, move, and remember who I am outside of “mom.” Because that joy doesn’t just stay with me… it ripples out to my kids.
They feel it.
I feel it.
And that’s how I know - this is good for all of us. 🫶