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For the Mama in a Full Season: A Little Reminder to Slow Down
The days are long, but the years are short. I know. We hear it ALL the time. But man, is it true.
Life has felt really full around here lately.
And if I’m being truthful, I got a little quieter because of it.
After a very full summer with The Literacy Camp®, I tend to slip into “head-down, get-it-done” mode. I quietly work behind the scenes while trying to help everyone settle back into routines and soak up family life again, trying my best not to play the part of overwhelmed mom.
But this year, I got even quieter.
I needed some space to feel like I was taking care of my health. Cleaning my home. Helping my kids settle into new routines. Getting back into church rhythms. Moving my body. Reading. Actual books just for fun. Being present.
Doing the things that make me feel a little more like me.
You know—all those things we mamas can so easily hustle through or right past because we're busy taking care of everybody else.
So I decided to take a breath and be where I needed to be.
And I am SO grateful for the ways God met me there—with rest, support, new ideas, joyful family moments, and maaaaaybe even one glorious day when ALL the laundry was done. 😂
Sometimes Moms Need a Reset, Too
I think as moms, we can get really good at noticing what everyone else needs.
Someone needs help with homework.
Someone needs a snack.
Someone needs to get to practice.
Someone can't find their shoes.
Someone needs a permission slip signed.
Someone needs to talk and process their big feelings.
Someone needs clean clothes.
And somehow there are always more dishes.
We notice all of it.
But sometimes we're not nearly as good at noticing: What do I need right now?
I don't mean that in a drop every responsibility and spend three days at a spa kind of way.
Although...I will not be turning that down if anyone is offering. 😂
I mean the little things.
Maybe you need to go for a walk.
Maybe you need to open your Bible before you open your phone.
Maybe you need to read a book that has absolutely nothing to do with parenting, business, teaching, or self-improvement.
Maybe you need to clean the room that's been making you crazy.
Maybe you need to go to bed instead of accomplishing one more thing.
Maybe you need coffee with a friend.
Maybe you simply need to admit: This season is full, and I can't do everything.
Sometimes moms need a reset too.
When Motherhood Feels Really Full
And there are certainly some seasons of motherhood we feel this more… when it feels like you're carrying approximately 700 tiny details in your brain at all times.
School calendars. Snack schedules. Birthday parties. Appointments. Work. Laundry. Dinner. Church. Sports. Homework. Who needs new shoes. What form you forgot to fill out. What random item your child apparently needs for school TOMORROW. 😂
And somewhere in all of that...
you.
I think there's a temptation to believe that taking care of ourselves is something we'll get to after everything else is handled, but when exactly is that?
Because I have yet to reach the magical point where the laundry is permanently finished, the house stays clean, every email has been answered, all three children need absolutely nothing, and my to-do list says:
Congratulations, Katie. You may now rest..
I'm starting to suspect that day isn't coming. 😉
We have to learn to care for ourselves somewhere in the middle of the life we're actually living..
Not after it.
Slowing Down Doesn't Mean You're Doing Less
This has been a big lesson for me.
I love ideas.
I love creating.
I love my work.
I love dreaming about what The Literacy Lady and The Literacy Camp® could become.
I also love being a mom.
And a wife.
And having a home that feels peaceful.
And reading my Bible.
And moving my body.
And sitting with my kids.
And reading a book just because I want to.
There will always be another thing I could be doing.
But I've been learning that slowing down doesn't necessarily mean I'm accomplishing less of what matters.
Sometimes slowing down is exactly what allows me to see what actually matters.
I don't want to build a beautiful business and be too exhausted to enjoy my family.
I don't want to encourage other mothers while ignoring what my own body and mind are telling me.
I don't want to spend so much time preparing for the next season that I miss the one I'm standing in.
And I don't think God measures the fruitfulness of our lives by how many boxes we checked today.
Sometimes faithfulness looks like working hard.
Sometimes it looks like resting.
Sometimes it looks like saying yes.
And sometimes it looks like knowing when to say, not right now.
Raising Readers in the Middle of Real Life
This quieter season has also reminded me of something I talk about with parents all the time:
The most meaningful learning doesn't always happen when we add something else to our schedule.
As a reading specialist, I could talk all day about literacy.
Reading instruction.
Phonics.
Writing.
Books.
Struggling readers.
Classroom libraries.
Reading motivation.
All of it.
But I'm also a mom.
I know what it's like to be making peanut butter and honey sandwiches while someone needs help with homework and another child is looking for something they swear was “RIGHT HERE.”
Real family life doesn't always have room for elaborate literacy activities.
And that's okay.
You do not have to recreate school at your kitchen table to raise a reader.
Read together on the couch.
Keep good books where your kids can reach them.
Let your children see YOU reading.
Listen to an audiobook in the car.
Let your child read the graphic novel.
Talk about a new word at dinner.
Write the grocery list together.
Tell stories.
Go to the library.
Let them read about baseball or horses or legos or baking or cars or whatever they're currently obsessed with.
Nourish your family with books and love.
That's literacy too.
And that's the kind of support I want to keep giving families—simple ways to raise readers inside the life you're already living.
Not another thing on your plate.
A Little Literacy Camp® Sneak Peek
And since we're catching up...
I can't write about this season of life without talking a little about The Literacy Camp®.
My heart is always still processing the whirlwind and blessings of Camp long after summer ends.
Hundreds of kids.
Books everywhere.
Art projects.
Outdoor play.
Guest readers.
Teachers pouring into children.
Confetti!
SO. MUCH. NOISE. 😂
And so many little moments I wish I could bottle up.
This year was especially sweet because we launched our very first 5th Grade Book Club.
And these kids completely blew our minds.
They were brilliant and funny and thoughtful, and they turned book club into something beyond what we had dreamed.
They discussed.
They laughed.
They created.
They READ.
And they reminded me of something I wish every parent of an older child knew:
Kids don't suddenly stop loving stories because they get older.
Sometimes we just have to keep creating spaces where reading feels like connection and discovery instead of another assignment.
Our first year went so well that next summer we're expanding.
For the first time, The Literacy Camp® will offer 5th AND 6th Grade Book Clubs EVERY WEEK of camp!
I. CANNOT. WAIT.
There is much more Camp news coming—including our biggest scholarship goal EVER—but I'll save that for another post. ♡
A Few Things I'm Loving Lately
One of my favorite parts of catching up with a friend is the completely random:
“Okay, wait. You HAVE to know about this...”
So in that spirit, here are a few little things bringing goodness to my days lately:
📖 My devotional: Sure as the Sunrise by Emily Ley. I love it for quick daily encouragement.
💕 My latest read: Jesus Is by Judah Smith.
📚 Current read with my 5th grader: A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry.
⛪ A midweek Bible study at church. Having something in the middle of the week that pulls me back to what matters has been so grounding.
🗂 Our homework caddies. One for each child, right at the table. It's such a tiny system, but anything that makes the after-school hours easier gets a YES from me.
🥷 And for my Mid-Michigan families: Building Twentyone. We recently celebrated a birthday there, and it was INCREDIBLE. Such a fun way to get kids moving, playing, and challenging themselves. If you’re local to the Lansing area - PLEASE go check it out!
It's funny how often it's the little things—a good book, an organized homework spot, cozy pajamas, Bible study in the middle of the week—that make a really full season feel a little sweeter.
For the Mama in a Full Season
Maybe you're reading this while sitting in the school pickup line.
Maybe there's laundry on your couch.
Maybe you're doing work you love while simultaneously wondering how you're supposed to get everything done.
Maybe one of your kids needs a little more from you right now.
Maybe everyone needs a little more from you right now.
Maybe you're just tired.
So here's what I want to leave you with. Something I’m learning right alongside you.
You don't have to do everything to be doing important work.
Get outside.
Go for the walk.
Read the book.
Spend time with Jesus.
Make the sandwich.
Leave the laundry until tomorrow.
Sit beside your child.
Read one more story.
Let something go.
Take care of yourself, mama.
Fill your cup so you can keep pouring into the people God has entrusted to you.
Your children are watching you build and create and work and rest and read and pray and advocate for them and love them.
You are placed right where you are on purpose and for a purpose.
I'm believing that for myself too.
And if you're somewhere in the middle of a really full season right now, know that I'm right there with you.
Praying for you and cheering you on!
