February Happiness Project Focus: Parenting

Choosing the order of these first few topics for my 2016 Happiness Project was really tough. I ended up prioritizing according to what matters the most to me right now and also took into consideration what needed the most work. Organization just made sense for January because my house was a disaster after having Juniper. Clearing physical and mental clutter helped start the year with a clean slate.

For February I chose to focus on my kids and ways to become a better parent. Let’s be real here, like every other parent on the planet I have no clue what I’m doing half the time. I don’t always have the answers or know what to do next. Parenthood is a team effort and although Daniel and I have never taken a parenting class, we manage to be on the same page most of the time. I’m proud of that.

This month I set out to read a current book on parenting to see what we both could learn. In The Happiness Project author Gretchen Rubin references the book “How to Talk So Kids Will Listen, and Listen So Kids Will Talk” as a great guide to modern parenting, so after a quick Amazon purchase the book was mine. It sits on my nightstand and I read a few pages every chance I get. I don’t know about you, but I feel like 90% of my time is spent repeating myself to kids who don’t listen, so I’m hoping to learn a lot from this book.

If I could video record an average day-in-the-life at home with my two kids you would laugh. I’m pretty sure you would think I am an alcoholic that never eats, talks WAY too loud (so they will hear) and spends an unnatural amount of time on the floor. I could be on MTV True Life: I Live with Toddlers.

But, on the days that I work and they go to school I miss their voices and sweet small faces.

It’s so incredibly tough being a working mom.  THE STRUGGLE IS REAL PEOPLE.

There may be a pile of toys on the floor at the end of each day, but I want to bottle up 3-year-old giggles and never forget my baby girls chubby arms around my leg. That said, here are some of my intentions this month:

 I’m already learning some great take-aways from the parenting book and excited to just spend quality time with my children. I know just by watching them be themselves I’m going to learn a lot.

Pray I make it out alive!