How do you do it all?

 “How do you do it all?”

I don’t.

I lowered my standards.

No really, I did. I used to think everything had to be perfect. That the meals had to look like they came out of Pinterest. That my house had to be spotless. That I had to show up for every little thing without ever saying no.

It nearly broke me.

Now the laundry sometimes piles up. Sometimes dinner is cereal. Sometimes the floor is messy. And guess what? My kids are still loved. They’re still happy. And I’m finally breathing again.

Lowering my standards saved me. Because my kids don’t need perfection, they need me present, calm, and actually here.