Family Footnote 5: My Top 5 Mama Mantras

My top five mama mantras keep me sane and each one takes me to a better place in terms of attitude. Put these mantras on repeat for better living!

1-Choose Happy.

I say this almost daily to myself and to my husband. Life is rough and it is okay to vent and be upset, but at the end of it all I choose to be happy. Grudge holding and feeling jaded all of the time helps absolutely no one. Mental health is no joke, so having the choice to be in a happier place mentally and emotionally is not lost on me, and I will pick it every single time.

2-But First, Coffee.

I used to be really good about only drinking coffee on the weekends. However, four kids broke me! I am now in need of that delicious hot cup (or two) of caffeine each day. It gets me up in the morning. It gives me a calm that soldiers me on to find “missing” backpacks and “lost” library books. It allows me to cattle prod little ones to the bus stop and sometimes it even manages to make me on time for preschool drop-off. I love being a mom that can tackle mornings with an upbeat attitude. It sets a positive tone for the entire day when it comes to parenting, writing, working, cleaning, exercising, and more. It is a feeling that I really can have it all…But First, Coffee.

3-Carpool and Conquer.

I wear my soccer mom badge with honor. My minivan is my batmobile. Carpool lanes are where it is at when you are my age and knee deep in offspring. In order to survive hectic weeks full of extra-curricular activities, a person has to “Carpool and Conquer”. Carpooling leads to great things. Some of my closest friends are fellow carpoolers. They are the parents I have met on the sidelines or in the auditorium seats that are genuinely fun and kind. They help me and I hopefully help them by taking turns giving rides to our most precious cargo. If you have never driven down the interstate with 4-6 softball players singing “Ready For It” by Taylor Swift, have you really lived a full life?

4-This Too Shall Pass.

My good friend from grade school texted these words to me on a day when I was surrounded by: cardboard boxes that were half unpacked, a crying baby, an angry toddler, the threat of evacuation, and a flooding Missouri River near our new home of two days. And she was right. Bad situations rarely take up permanent residence. The daily grind continues in spite of the obstacles.

5-Life is Complicated.

Struggles are everywhere and every single human being has a hardship (or two or a hundred) happening in his or her life. Acknowledging that the world is complicated and nothing is black and white can help me achieve empathy in almost every situation. It is also a great mantra to drop on my children when they wonder about situations that are above my pay grade and so very hard to put into words.

What are your mama mantras? Check out what Tessa had to say on this subject, but clicking here.