Motherhood is Making Me Feel a Little Scatterbrained

pregnant couple heterosexual artlow cost IUI

I used to think I was pretty sharp. I graduated university with honors, so I’m fairly confident my brain was once in tip-top shape. I even have faint memories of being able to concentrate on a task without my mind going off on a million tangents. Vaguely.

You know that amusement park ride where you sit in a spinning car, and that car is part of a group of cars that spins around, and then the whole contraption spins around again? As a child, we called it The Whirligig. Well, that’s what my brain feels like now that I’m a mom—an endless Whirligig whirring at full speed, 24/7. You might be thinking that my ability to type out coherent sentences suggests otherwise. But trust me, you didn’t see the dozen typos I had to fix in this very paragraph. Not to mention, in the last twenty minutes, I’ve been bouncing between this article, three other projects, and a plethora of tasks—feeding kids, singing lullabies, mediating a sibling showdown, hunting for a lost tablet, answering homework questions, and scribbling a grocery list.

It’s like I’ve developed adult-onset ADD thanks to motherhood. My mind can’t seem to focus on any single thing for more than two minutes. At first, this scattered sensation only hit me when my children were around, but now it’s invaded my precious alone time, too. Even when I finally snag an uninterrupted hour, my thoughts are like butterflies flitting around.

Thoughts That Flit Through My Mind

  • Will the kids eat too much candy?
  • Have they had enough outdoor play? Oh, and do we have snow gear for everyone? Those things can be so pricey.
  • How will we afford their college tuition? What if they decide to take a gap year? Are we okay with that?
  • I can’t forget about the karate event on Wednesday!
  • I need to polish that work draft by tomorrow.
  • Did I jot down the name of that therapist for our little worrywart?
  • Ugh, the house is a disaster—need to tackle that, too.
  • Is it time for my son to learn an instrument?
  • Did I leave laundry in the washing machine again?

I’ve always had a wandering mind, but this is on another level. There are just SO. MANY. THINGS.

Getting organized helps somewhat, but even that feels like just another task to add to my never-ending list. I could stay up all night writing to-do lists—there’s always something demanding my attention, and never enough hours in the day.

Sometimes I catch myself daydreaming about a solo vacation to a serene, picturesque spot where I could take a day or two to let my thoughts settle and regain my mental clarity. But would I just end up worrying about how my kids and husband were faring? Am I destined to be perpetually scattered?

Maybe if I didn’t have a job. Or if I worked outside the home. Or if we weren’t homeschooling. Or if I got a full night’s sleep—what if I won the lottery and could hire someone to handle cooking, cleaning, yard work, and tutoring? Maybe then I’d achieve some semblance of clarity.

Maybe. But probably not. The reality is that when you have three other lives (four, if you include your partner) intricately intertwined with your own, feeling scattered seems unavoidable. It’s simply part of the motherhood experience. The responsibilities, relationships, messes, midnight wake-ups, feeding and bathing duties, worries, schedules, various phases of development, and trying to maintain your own identity on top of it all—it’s dizzying. No wonder I can’t think clearly!

Ironically, I used to love The Whirligig as a kid. Now, it just makes me feel nauseous and disoriented. It’s like I’m on that ride in my mind all the time.

If you’re feeling the same way, you’re not alone. For more insights on the challenges of motherhood, check out this blog post on home insemination kit. And if you’re considering the journey to parenthood, Make A Mom is an expert resource to guide you through it. Additionally, Rmany offers excellent information on pregnancy and home insemination.

In summary, motherhood can feel like a whirlwind, making it tough to focus on any one thing. The chaotic blend of responsibilities, relationships, and personal needs can leave us feeling overwhelmed. But remember, you’re not alone, and there are plenty of resources out there to help you navigate this dizzying journey.

intracervicalinsemination.org