A Mothers Mental Load

I was loading the last of the bags in the car. I did a quick mental check: bags, lunches, water bottles, dummy, bottles, hats, swim bag, swimmers, cap, goggles, towel, thongs. I’m holding Scarlett’s library bag, is it library day? No, BUT it is purple folder day. I race the folder back to her room, I grab the purple folder, my work shoes and check Hugo’s water. I double check everyone’s seatbelts and finally start the car. TALK TIME!!! Today is Scarlett’s talk time, she needs to take 3 items to school and do a ‘talk’ about them 🤦🏼‍♀️ I tell everyone to STAY PUT! As I run inside to find 3 things I think she could confidently talk about. I turn to head back to the car and find Hendrix stood at the door in his pyjamas. “WHERE ARE YOUR CLOTHES?!!?” I scream, “my don’t wanna go to kindy today, my wanna stay home” I take a deep breathe as I scream profanities in my head. I then spend two minutes attempting to negotiate before I realised I was completely wasting my time and engaged in a physical struggle to get him out of pyjamas and into the clothes he was previously wearing... we did it, we’re in the car and off but the mental load doesn’t end there. The school emails, the kindy dress up days, the parent information evenings, am I packing enough lunch? Is it healthy enough, are they drinking enough water, I must remember to pay the electricity bill oh and I have to pick up milk on the way home...speaking of milk, I wonder if I should change winnies formula now that she’s one?! Oh she’s also got a lot of teeth coming through, I should really get her a toothbrush, I’ll grab that when I get the milk oh and I should book the kids in for a dental check! I finally drop the kids at kindy and get Scarlett to school, I que in the enormous school traffic before finally arriving at work. I work for maybe two hours when my phone rings. It’s the kindy, winter has a rash and will need to be collected, I leave for the day and grab all the items I need before I head home. I care for a sick baby and before I know it, it’s school pick up time, I collect the older two. Scarlett informs me it’s pirate day on Friday and she MUST dress up. I make a mental note but she doesn’t have anything ‘piratey’ so that’s another trip to the shops. We get home, I unpack bags, wash lunch boxes, make afternoon snacks, rock a crying baby, prepare lunches for the following day, run their bath, dress them in pyjamas, check Scarlett’s folder for any teacher notes, Hendrix has an ‘about me’ to complete. I finish that, prepare winters dinner, settle her while I prepare our dinner, I put winter to bed and we eat, I tell stories, and put the kids to bed. Finish dishes and finally sit down for the day but the mental load doesn’t end there. I shower and get myself to bed, my mind runs wild, the bill, I forgot the electricity bill!!! I’ll pay it now. I pray winter is better in the morning, I have no sick leave owing at work...So I’m going without pay while paying full fees at daycare. Which reminds me, I must get onto that Medicare refund I’m owed. I’ll call in the morning. I finally drift off when winter wakes, she’s not well, I deal with resettling her and prepare myself that I will need to be home again tomorrow but the mental load doesn’t end there... And the truth is, the mental load will NEVER end for us even with supportive partners and hands on dads who I’m grateful to have, as mothers we will still double check, we will still worry, we will plan and stress and prepare meals, budget funds, plan dress up outfits, remember immunisation dates, school fees, excursions, TALK TIME, along with the rest of our daily life and if anything it’s only going to get worse; as after school activities and weekend sport/training begin it’s going to become OVERWHELMING. But we will adapt, adjust and GET. IT. DONE! Because that’s what we as mothers do. It’s also why we NEED to take a break, schedule a weekend away with the girls, a massage, pamper session anything that gives you a break and a taste of the woman you were before you were a mum, because SHE still matters. Go easy on yourselves mummas x ❤️