This self-care series is dedicated to every badass mom who needs a break, a laugh, and is ready to look at self-care beyond what the eye can see.

I turned to my IG fam to see what they wanted to read next. Why choose when you have an amazing group of humans ready to share their genius with you?!

Going through the responses a clear theme was coming through: self-care as a mom.

And when I read: Your self-care routine! As a yummy mommy (haha)

I laughed. Literally LOL-d. And that chuckle is what I needed to dive into sharing some thoughts on self-care.

I never thought of myself as a yummy mommy before, but now I will (and you will too). And listening to Justin Bieber will never be the same.

Press play and let’s get groovin’.

YOU ARE A YUMMY MUMMY

If you’re looking for self-care affirmations for moms, Pinterest has you covered. But truth be told, you only need one.

Repeat after me:

“I AM A YUMMY  MUMMY”

Say it again. Mean it this time.

“I AM A YUMMY MUMMY”

Yes! Louder. Put your back into it.

“I AM A YUMMY MUMMY.”

Amazing mama! Three times is good enough, otherwise we’re gonna get caught in a tongue twister instead of the new anthem for our sisters! But if you’re feeling it, keep going. (And each time Justin sings yummy-yummy, remember that what he really meant was yummy-mummy.)

Throw it into Canva. Make it pretty. Share it on IG proudly. Or Pin it to your Affirmations board. Say it often. But most importantly, own the fact that you are a yummy mummy. The best kind.

MAMA, YOU’RE DOING A F&CKING GOOD JOB

I wouldn’t say that I’ve mastered self-care as a human, even less as a mom.

Truth is, I struggle. Often. But I do recognize that in the grand scheme of things, I’m doing a pretty fucking good job. 

I’m no Taylor Swift and I don’t exactly understand the whole Easter Egg craze, but if there was one in this post, I just gave it to you:

Toot your own horn mama. Give yourself fucking credit. Use FUCK as often as you need. Be perfectly imperfect. Leave the Salina Gomez drama behind and crank up Justin Bieber when you need a boost or Taylor Swift when you’re feeling emo. 

Put it in your basket and eat it up like a sugar-crazed kid on Easter Sunday.

A note on saying FUCK…

I recommend letting it out privately as there will come a time when your child picks up on it—as Alicia did today. Oops!  Enter flashback to the “asshole” scene in Meet The Fockers.

Now, if this sort of thing happens to you, remember this: fuck means seal in french (spelt phoque) and you’re a great mom teaching your children multiple languages and educating them about the Earth’s (remaining) wildlife.

You’re welcome.

SELF-CARE IS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG

Writing about self-care as a mom should be a no brainer, right?

Quite the contrary. 

My brain fired up! Heart exploded. Soon to be bleeding womb ached.

I had trouble sleeping as I could feel the ideas awaken.

So, I wrote. A little. Walked. A lot. Spoke my thoughts aloud. 

And although I could take the easy route and simply share my routine (I will in a separate post), that wouldn’t be satisfying. Nor make the kind of difference I hope to make if you’re taking precious time to read this.

Then I did a little research. Followed my curiosity on Google and Pinterest to see what came up when entering: self-care for moms.

Going through the top articles I felt sick.

• 9 Essential Self-Care Tips For Busy Moms
• 6 Simple Self-Care Ideas For Busy Moms
• 19 Self-Care Ideas For Moms That Aren’t Just Take A Shower
• 25 Self-Care Ideas For Exhausted Parents

What do you notice from these titles?

MOMS ARE BUSY, TIRED, EXHAUSTED, & APPARENTLY DON’T KNOW HOW TO TAKE A SHOWER

If you choose to read these articles as I did, you’ll also notice that they seem to buy into the idea that moms should be kind, nice, and do things that will keep them feeling grateful and looking good in yoga pants. 

But what if moms threw full-out tantrums, said NO just as often as their toddlers, realized that they look good no matter what, and let all sides of themselves come out?

Those are the kind of self-care ideas I wish more people spoke about. And since most don’t, I will.

Don’t worry, I’ll also give you a list of ideas—I love a good list too. 

IF YOU’RE EXHAUSTED, YOU DON’T NEED 25 IDEAS

What you need is to close the laptop or mobile phone and take a goddamn nap.

Or if you’re little one is awake and a nap isn’t an option try one of these:

1. Cry.
2. Laugh out loud as I just did.
3. Put your beautiful child in the car seat, listen to Adele’s new album and go for a drive while breathing in and out deeply.
4. Take a bath with your cutie and enjoy being confined in a basin without thinking that the water is several degrees cooler than you would like.

And if you prefer a “snap out of it” kind of approach, here it is: 

Strap on your boots. Go outside. Get some fresh air. And remember: all your other basic needs—food, clean water, shelter, and living in a safe environment—are covered. You wouldn’t be reading this if they weren’t.

I FEEL YOU MAMA

What you are craving is something deeper that can be felt collectively.

I hate to break it to you, but if we think that creating the perfect self-care routine that includes things like journalling for 20min, waking up 15min earlier, or calling a friend is going to create the deeply rooted shift we are all yearning for, it won’t. It might feel good in the moment, but as women who grew up watching Titanic on VHS multiple times, you and I both know that the iceberg is much bigger below the surface.

Becoming a mom awakens who we truly are. Old wounds rise oozing with truth. It can be painful to feel it all and become aware. Don’t look away. Open. Be brave enough to sow your own stitches for as we heal, we create space for who we were meant to be all along to step forward. We must look at this consciously. Heal vulnerably. For all mamas. For all.

We must put our true nature at the forefront. Not a 30min self-care routine crammed between lunch and the end of nap time or your next Zoom call, or both.

So get some rest and come back here when you’re ready because I’m telling you right now, the following posts are GOLD. (But who are we kidding, you’re invested now and will put off resting because you’re a fuckin’ mom and you can do what you want!)

Now before I dive in and give you a list of self-care ideas that are going to feel like an Old Fashioned made by that cute bartender you slept with back when you were single and felt motherhood was out of reach, let me share with you 6 issues that I have noticed fuck with my hea(d)rt and put a damper on honouring my goddamn needs and being the badass mom I know that I am and you are too.

Read about them here!

You may also enjoy:

• From Aspiring Mama To “Soon-To-Be”
• Want To Become A Mom? Start With These 6 Principles
• How To Deal When Hopelessness & Fear Creep In
• Alicia’s Birth Story