Send a Johnson’s Baby Care Card To A Mom!

This Mother’s Day was spent as a low-key dinner at my mom’s house. The morning started off great, with my kids and hubby snuggling in bed, and breakfast as a family. I shared texts with friends and family to let them know I was thinking of them, and wished them a wonderful day filled with love from their immediate families. It truly was an enjoyable weekend, as we all celebrated my daughter’s first birthday just the day before with our closest friends and family. So, the entire weekend was spent with good times and laughter, reminding me of how fortunate I was to have such amazing people all around me.

As a mom, and speaking with other moms, I feel that we are often too hard on ourselves as parents. There are some days that I feel that I am doing nothing else but disciplining, and other days that I don’t want to do anything but lay on the couch in peace. These days don’t happen more often than the days I take my kids on adventures in our city, but the “bad days” do leave me feeling like I’m doing something so horribly wrong. My friends agree that they all have days like this, so I know that it must be normal. One day I felt that I was at my wits end, and decided to take my preschooler for a playdate to another friend’s house. My thinking was that if the kids are playing together and having fun, I really don’t have to worry about losing my patience with her. After arriving at my friend’s house, I realized that this “playdate” was really for me, and not for my tot. I needed a place where I can go to vent and share my “horrible mommy” stories. Apparently my friend was having a day like I was as well, although she was a seasoned mom with older children. She didn’t see what I saw – I saw that I was having a bad mommy moment and didn’t want to deal with taking care of my children, while she saw a mommy that just needed to take a break and possibly use the bathroom with the door closed (did you know that people still do that these days?)

She was right – I took her advice and took some time to myself. When my husband is home, I take 30 minutes to unwind and lock myself in the bathroom or bedroom. This is where I chat with a friend, my mom, or even just pain my nails! I also started trying to take better care of MYSELF, and in turn, I feel that I don’t feel as burnt out anymore. I take a few minutes to actually put makeup on in the morning, and fix my hair. Since my second baby came along, I felt that I didn’t have time to look and feel my best, and this ended up leaving me feel like I was in a rut. By making myself feel better, I feel that I was able to take care of my kids better, and that half hour I take for myself everyday energizes me and gives me more stamina to get through the rest of the day.

So, what they say is true – when mommy feels good, everyone is happy! I want to pay this experience forward by offering a Johnson’s Baby Cares Card to other moms who need some encouragement. We all know that mom, or are that mom, who might need a little reassurance to brighten their (or our) day. By sending a card, Johnson’s Baby will donate $1.00 to Save the Children, for up to $150,000 to benefit early childhood education.

I would send this card to my friend, who offered me the friendly advice that I really needed to hear. You can find out more information by visiting the Johnson’s Baby Facebook Page.