Motherhood Is A Nonstop Lesson In Adapting

Motherhood is nothing like I imagined. Before I became a mom, I thought that when I finally decided to have a kid that I would magically be endowed with special supermom powers and do all the arts and crafts, make the best cookie treats, be potty training by 6 months, work out everyday, and still be the hottest thing on social media.

Well, now that I'm three years into motherhood, it's clear that the job comes with more than I bargained for. Plus, there's the simple fact that being a supermom is totally unrealistic. No one told me that pretty much everything about having a kid is unexpected — their injuries, their illnesses, even their likes and dislikes.

Not only have I come to understand what everyone meant when they said "kids change everything," but I've finally ditched all my preconceived notions and lofty perfect parenting ideas. I'm literally figuring this parenting thing out one day at a time, and I've been learning to adapt to change — which has been a total lifeline for me and my little family.

My son Creed was born on September 25, 2016. Since then, my priorities have changed, my expectations have changed, and I have changed, all while Creed continues to change. One of the things that changes most often are his quirks. Creed has certain ways he'll do things, then one day he may decide to switch those behaviors up and do something totally different. One day he's super independent, and the next he's hanging off my leg. He's an angel for a week, and then goes into the terrible twos (at 3 years old) for a month. I no longer take these constant changes personally or as a sign that I'm doing something wrong. Instead, I've realized that for him it's part of growing up, and for me it's a lesson in adapting.

As a professional content creator, I used to worry about him interrupting my social video shoots, but not anymore. These days my followers and subscribers already know that Creed will make a cameo in almost every video, and I make no apologies for it. I've found that they actually love it when he does!

When it comes to raising kids, there's always a new challenge. Things as simple as bath time may require some quick on-your-toes thinking to keep things together. When Creed hit 2 years old, he suddenly started hating water in his face during bath time hair washings. And when I say hate, I mean hate — he goes into a full-on panic and tries to jump out of the tub! I tried a few different ways to wash his hair, but his curly texture requires a thorough wash weekly so we figured we'd try washing it in the kitchen sink.

I will admit I was a little leery at first because of what goes in the sink on a daily basis. Between food particles, stagnant water, and whatever germs wash into the sink from our hands, it can actually be the germiest thing ever. I've always kept the sink clean, but I knew if Creed's head was going to be in there, regular clean just wouldn't cut it.

That's why I'm thankful for products like Clorox® Clean-up® Cleaner + Bleach, that give moms like me peace of mind since it kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses with the power of bleach! And now, I'm happy to report, that Creed absolutely loves his sink washings. In fact, his first wash looked more like a day at the spa.

It’s easy to have all these set rules and plans before you’re faced with the reality of a living, breathing, human in your constant care. When we have all these ideas of how we need to 'mom', we aren’t able to be flexible and make the adjustments that are in the best interest of our children. As we've learned, children will never stop exploring and changing. You've got to let go and have the capacity to adjust in these circumstances, particularly when the change is unexpected. Had we not been open to changing up Creed's bath time routine, we would still be frustrated, Creed would still have half-clean hair, and most importantly, he wouldn't be able to luxuriate in our sink for his spa day hair washes!

Overall, adapting is not only great for your sanity. but it's also crucial for your ever-changing family. I'm officially a go-with-the-flow-er now. I threw away my supermom cape and instead, I rock my flexible mom badge on the daily. Someone wise once said, "When you're bendable you are not breakable." I’ve definitely found that the more flexible I can be, the better mother, wife, and overall person I am.

This post is sponsored by Clorox.