I'M A SUPERHERO WHEN NO ONE'S WATCHING.

Vacuum and wash the floors, change the bedding, do five loads of laundry, ten sets of killer stairs, a quick grocery shop, post a blog, and tidy the house. I managed to accomplish all of this on Sunday morning before 9 am. It's incredible what I can get done when no one is home.

Mike was at work, and the kids were all with their other parents. I woke up at 5 am and had a list of things I needed to get done that day. I wasn't planning to finish them all by 9 am, but I had. What was I going to do with the rest of my day?

I kept feeling like there was something I was supposed to be doing. Something I needed to check off my list, but there wasn't. I thought about reading a book, but that seemed too indulgent. Was I just supposed to relax?

I decided to head to the nearby lake for some paddle boarding. In doing so, I would be doing something I enjoyed but exercising as well. You know, I can't just be relaxing.

Do you struggle with these same issues of not being able to relax? As moms, we're always on. Or at least we're made to feel that way. When the kids are away, and you've got some time by yourself, are you really able to relax? Is this a function of my personality, or are all moms wired this way? Recently I had someone tell me what a frantic/high-stress mom I was after my first was born. Wasn't that normal

My perception of mothering and parenting was that it was high-stress. Kids are a lot of work. Making decisions that affect the lives of little people should be taken seriously. To me, the high level of stress and these decisions seemed to go hand in hand. It didn't seem to leave much time for relax mode. Over the years, this has lessened. Parenting can be stressful but I wouldn't consider myself a high-stress mom anymore but I wouldn't exactly say I'm relaxed.

One thing I've reflected on is why am I not a Superhero when everyone's home? I'm clearly capable of being highly productive, but when everyone's home, I'm not. There's a number of reasons, (no one in the house would like me very much if I were vacuuming at 6 am) but it has a lot to do with my husband. Mike has created space for me to relax. It might be the simple suggestion; "hey honey, you should go read a book in your hammock, or you haven't made anything on your Cricut lately." These little suggestions validate my need to relax. I might not realize it, but he can see that taking some time for me, is just what I need.

I got a lot accomplished on Sunday and even relaxed while paddle boarding. But I've got to say I prefer when there's a house full of people and I'm distracted by kid's crafts, a game, or just a snuggle on the couch. Who needs to be a Superhero?

Leave a comment and let me know if you struggle with relaxing and just letting yourself unwind.

Shannon, The Herdmother