No One Told Me This About Motherhood

Motherhood is beautiful—but it’s also overwhelming, exhausting, and full of moments no one really prepares you for.

In this honest and encouraging episode of the Grace-Filled Mom Podcast, we’re talking about the real, everyday parts of motherhood that often go unspoken. From feeling pulled in a hundred different directions to second-guessing yourself on even the most ordinary days, this episode will remind you that you’re not alone in what you’re feeling.

You’ll be encouraged to:

•  Embrace the small, ordinary moments that truly shape your child 
•  Let go of the pressure to do everything perfectly 
•  Recognize that loving your kids deeply and feeling exhausted can both be true 
•  Stop focusing on what you’re not doing and start seeing what you are 

If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing enough?” or felt stretched thin in this season of motherhood, this episode will meet you right where you are with grace, truth, and encouragement.

💙 You’re not behind. You’re not doing it wrong. You’re in it—and what you’re doing matters more than you think.

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Introvert’s Guide to Meaningful Mom Friendships
https://www.amybcrowe.com/Introvert-Guide/

✨ Popular Free Resource:
Grace-Filled Mom Survival Kit
https://www.amybcrowe.com/survivalkit

✨ Take the Grace-Filled Mom Quiz
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📘 My Book, Grace-Filled Motherhood:
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Transcript

0:03

Hi, friend, and welcome back to the Grace-Filled Mom Podcast. I am really glad you're here today. I want to talk to you about something simple today. Some things that no one really told me about motherhood, and I don't mean that in a negative way, just in an honest way that I think will encourage you. The kinds of things that you don't always hear before you step into this role, but you start to experience once you're living it every day. And as I share a few of these, you might find yourself thinking, "Okay, it's not just me." Because sometimes the most encouraging thing that we can hear as moms is that we're not alone in what we're feeling. One thing no one really told me is how often motherhood would feel like being pulled in a hundred different directions all at the same time. You're trying to listen to one child while another is asking you something. Your phone is buzzing, dinner's halfway done, your mind's already thinking about what needs to happen tomorrow. And in the middle of all of it, you're just trying to be present. That's a lot. And it's not because you're doing something wrong, it's just because motherhood is so full. Another thing that no one told me is how much of motherhood happens in your mind? Not just what you're doing physically, but the constant thinking, remembering appointments, thinking about what your child needs or replaying a conversation in your mind, wondering if you handled something the right way. And even when your house is quiet, your mind isn't always. And along with that, no one really told me how often I would second guess myself, even on normal days. Even when nothing big went wrong, you can still find yourself thinking, should I have handled that differently? Was I too hard on them? Was I not firm enough? There's this quiet pressure to get it right, and I think a lot of moms carry that without even realizing it. Another thing I wish someone had told me is how much the little moments actually matter because we tend to look for the big ones. The milestones, the big conversations, the moments we think we'll always remember. But so much of motherhood is built in the ordinary moments we almost overlook. Riding in the car together, letting them help you stir and pour while you're cooking, even if it gets a little messy. Watching a show or a movie together, working on a project side by side, sharing a hobby, being there for their activities, those late night talks when you're tired, but they're finally ready to open up. Those are the moments that shape your child more than anything else. The little things, the things that you didn't think mattered, they matter. So don't beat yourself up necessarily on the big milestones. Maybe focus more on the little moments. Just a little bit at a time. The little things you can do, the little moments, because I promise you as mine get older and they remind me of things that I had forgotten about, but it mattered to them, and that means the world to me to know that just because I did something little, that meant a lot to them. So keep that in mind in your motherhood journey. So those are the moments that really shape your child more than anything else. Not the big ones, the small ones you almost miss. You don't need extraordinary plans to build a meaningful relationship with your kids. It's built in showing up, listening when you're tired, laughing at the little things, and choosing conversation in the middle of ordinary days. Another thing no one really told me is that I wouldn't remember everything. You know how I just told you that they remind me sometimes. You think you will. In the moment you think, I'll never forget this. The funny things they say, the little phrases they repeat, the way that they mispronounce a word, the things that they do that make you laugh or just melt your heart, but over time you don't always remember it all. So as one mom to another, to help you out for things that I wish I had done. I wish that I had written more of it down. The little things, the everyday moments, the ones that felt small at the time, but I promise you they won't one day. Those are the ones that you miss later. If I could tell you anything here, it would be this. Write it down. Keep a simple journal. Just buy a cheap journal from any kind of Walmart, Target, TJ Maxx has the little ones. Even the dollar store, it doesn't matter. Just write it down. Simple journal, doesn't have to be perfect. Just little notes, but keep it all together because you don't want to go looking for notes everywhere, so keep it all in one place so you'll have it all together. Write the date, I promise you, you won't regret it. Because one day when you're frustrated or when you need encouragement, you're going to look back and you're going to remember those moments again, and they will mean even more. Another thing no one told me is that you can love your kids deeply and still feel completely exhausted. Not just physically tired, but mentally and emotionally tired. The kind of tired where you don't even know what you need. You just know you're worn out. And that can feel confusing because you think, "I love this. Why does it feel so hard today?" But both can be true. You can love your kids with your whole heart and still have hard days. And maybe one of the most important things, no one told me how easy it would be to focus on what I'm not doing instead of what I am doing. It's so easy to think I didn't do enough. I should have handled that better, but we don't always stop and notice: you showed up, you cared. You tried. You loved your kids today, and that matters more than you think. Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we'll reap a harvest if we do not give up." Motherhood is full of doing good, but not always seeing the results right away. My mom used to tell me that, and I didn't believe her, but I want to tell you that it's true. We don't always see the results right away. Sometimes it takes years, decades, but that doesn't mean it isn't working. It is. So if you're feeling stretched or unsure, or just a little worn out, I want you to hear this today. You're not alone. You're not doing motherhood wrong. You're in it. You're showing up, you're loving your kids, and God is right there with you in all of it. Even in the ordinary. Even in the messy, even in the moments you wish you could redo. So this week, be a little more gentle with yourself. Pay attention to the small moments. And maybe even write a few of them down because they matter more than you realize. I'm really glad you were here today, and I'll talk to you again soon.