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This mom’s hectic morning routine resonates with many of us.
Meet Jennifer Smith
Jennifer is a dedicated working mom of four kids. Each morning, she manages to get her four children ready and out the door. By the time she settles into her office chair, she has already walked 2.5 miles. And she has a clear message for those who think it’s easy to stroll into work at 9:00 am: “Enough.”
In a recent Facebook post, Jennifer details her morning routine, from the moment she wakes up to her arrival at work.
The Morning Routine
Jennifer begins with the challenging task of waking up “four sleepy heads,” which, as many can relate, is no small feat. “Some I gently nudged, while one required a bit more extreme measures, like pulling the blanket off and trying to roll him out of bed when gentle nudges didn’t work,” she wrote. Amidst this chaos, she even manages to brew herself a cup of coffee and fish out a wet diaper from under her bed—because every morning victory comes with its own price.
She flushes toilets long forgotten, pleads for teeth brushing (which she knows won’t happen), and finds herself shouting over the noise of her children. Once the kids are off to school, you’d think it would be smooth sailing for Jennifer, right? Wrong.
“I took down pillow forts, untangled Paw Patrol underwear from table lamps, and threw in a load of laundry… I fed the dog, wiped down counters, switched off the TV, coffee maker, and a hundred lights, and locked the door.” Yes, she did all that. Because if she doesn’t tackle these tasks now, she’ll just have to face them when she gets home, followed by dinner, homework, and bedtime routines. It’s a lot to juggle, and it’s hard to understand why this isn’t acknowledged more widely.
By the time Jennifer reaches her desk, her Fitbit shows she has already covered 2.5 miles. At that moment, she expresses a sentiment many can relate to: “If walking 2.5 miles without actually going anywhere isn’t a snapshot of this stage of life, I don’t know what is.”
A Call for Empathy
Jennifer isn’t seeking sympathy; she knows she has much to be thankful for. What she craves, and what every working parent desires, is a bit of empathy and recognition that parenting is no walk in the park.
“As a mom of four young kids, I’ve been apologizing for being late, unavailable, or just generally frazzled for over a decade,” she shared. “I wrote this post from a place of frustration that often comes when you’re constantly saying sorry for something you don’t really feel bad about.”
Whether working from home or commuting to an office, part-time or full-time, whether their job involves paid employment or solely focuses on raising children, all parents put in significant effort. When they aren’t at their “day jobs,” they’re either actively caring for their kids or planning, organizing, and thinking about family life.
“To all the working moms, I see you. I really do. And to ALL the moms out there, I’m raising my cup of (now cold) coffee to you. Keep doing your thing, whatever that entails,” she concludes. “Unless it involves judgment. No one has time for that. Some of us have real work to do here.”
This article was originally published on Sep. 23, 2017.
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Summary
Jennifer Smith, a working mom of four, shares her demanding morning routine that involves waking her children, managing household chaos, and covering 2.5 miles before heading to work. Through her post, she emphasizes the need for understanding and recognition of the hard work all parents put into balancing their responsibilities.