My day is filled with to do lists and appointments like many of you. I barely finish something when my mind is already on fast forward to what needs to be done next. I'm busy , busy, busy. So why does it feel like some days I have not accomplished anything at all?

I know many of you can relate to what I am saying here. For those of you who can't, let me try to give you a written visualization of this. Imagine if you will, a parent who stays home with two small children. The day starts out with a to-do list. Some things on the list might be grocery shopping, laundry, and fitting in a workout. Not bad, only 3 things. Breakfast gets served, and then some playtime with the kids. The morning begins to get away from them so they decide to shower, but wait! time for the baby to be fed and take a nap. That's fine, they decide because they can shower while the baby naps. The phone rings and it is a friend, parent (the list is endless) that needs to talk. Actually they welcome this, communication from the outside is precious. Phone call is ended but baby wakes up, so no shower.

They decide they can just grocery shop now and shower later after they workout during the afternoon naps. Grocery shopping with little ones is always an adventure. On this particular outing the baby cries incessantly and the toddler wants donut hole after donut hole. So while trying to ignore the looks from older adults who have forgotten what it is like to parent and looks from those who have never parented, and trying to pace the toddler in their sugar binge, this parent is supposed to make it through all 16 aisles of the store and procure food rations for the next week.

Driving home from the store the parent realizes something on their list did get done. Yeah! Now it is time to go home, put away groceries, feed the children lunch and lay them down to sleep for a great 2 hour break. On the way home, the baby falls asleep because of the shortened morning nap, so he is left to sleep in the car seat while they put away groceries in hopes that he will be successfully transferred later. Later has arrived, and the baby who was so peacefully sleeping in the car seat, is bright-eyed and bushy tailed as soon as he is put into the crib. Great!

Lunch is prepared but the toddler does not want to eat because of the donut hole binge earlier and does not look the least bit interested in sleeping either, even after reading the same book 20 times, probably because of the sugar high he is on from the same donut hole binge.
The day continues with no breaks from the kids. The parent tries to play with them but finds it hard not to be thinking of all the things that are not getting done. They finally go for a walk which puts the baby to sleep for a nap that is needed and overdue.

Finally it is time to think about starting dinner, which shouldn't be too challenging as there should be plenty of options from the grocery store outing earlier. But funny how there doesn't seem to be much but, cereal, milk, goldfish crackers, juice, fruit snacks, mac 'n cheese and chicken nuggets. Chicken nuggets and mac 'n cheese it is. Oh Boy!
You can see how easy it is for someone who has had a day like this - a non-showering, snacks only shopping trip, eating mac 'n cheese for dinner type of day, to feel like nothing was accomplished.

Is this a typical day? No, I hope not, but it has happened to all of us or will, who stay at home with our children. I know these days are tough, but I challenge you to look at them in a different way. Look at it through the eyes of your child. They had someone who was attentive to their needs. Someone who fostered their learning by playing with them and reading to them. Someone who exposed them to nature by taking them for a walk (and did fit in somewhat of a workout in the meantime). These moments are not replaceable and will not be around forever, sadly laundry and other things on our to-do lists will stick around.

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