Good Mood, Y’all! A Little Mama Self Care, One Song at a Time
Some days, I drop the girls off at school and feel ready to tackle my list. Other days, I need a Starbucks, a minute without questions, and a song that reminds me I had a personality before I became the household snack coordinator.
Y’all, I love my children. But nobody prepared me for how often two small people could need something crunchy.
Between errands, laundry, dishes, and keeping everybody’s little world spinning, it’s easy to spend an entire day doing things for everyone else. As an older mama with a five-year-old and a seven-year-old, sometimes my energy needs a little encouragement to catch up with my responsibilities.
That’s why I created these playlists. They get me moving, keep me moving, and remind me of a time when someone wasn’t asking for a snack every five minutes.
There are five recommended 30-song playlists to choose from: ’80s, ’90s, 2000s, ’90s Country, and Drive Music: Turn It Up. A little nostalgia, a little kitchen dancing, and, when the day calls for it, some heavy guitars.
Think of it as mama self care with a soundtrack.
The ’80s Edition: Big Hair Energy for a Tired Mama
Give me Whitney Houston, Cyndi Lauper, and a little “Footloose,” and suddenly unloading the dishwasher feels slightly less offensive.
This playlist is for kitchen dancing, car singing, and remembering that girls still just want to have fun. Even if our current version of fun is getting through Target without a phone call asking where something is.
Some mornings, I grab my coffee after school drop-off, turn on these favorites, and give myself a few songs before diving into the day. Atlanta traffic is still Atlanta traffic, but at least the soundtrack is good.
The ’90s Edition: Scrunchies, Boy Bands, and Dashboard Concerts
These are the songs I somehow still know by heart, despite being unable to remember the password I changed yesterday.
From “Steal My Sunshine” to “This Is How We Do It,” with Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls thrown in, this playlist turns ordinary errands into a reunion with a younger version of me.
She had fewer calendar alerts. She also thought she was busy. Bless her heart.
Put this one on when you need a little bounce in your step and a reminder that you still have every intention of performing all the parts yourself.
The 2000s Edition: Burned CDs and Main Character Energy
“Unwritten,” “Hey Ya!,” and “Since U Been Gone” can put some pep back in my step when the afternoon starts dragging.
These songs remind me of flip phones, burned CDs, and putting real thought into a MySpace profile song. Now I put that same level of thought into whether we have enough snacks to survive carpool.
This is the playlist I want when the laundry has formed its own mountain range and I need momentum. I may only get one basket folded, but I will give a respectable concert while doing it.
Nugget gets a front-row seat. His reviews are mostly barking.
The ’90s Country Edition: A Little Twang Goes a Long Way
Now, honey, sometimes the situation calls for Alan Jackson, Shania Twain, and Brooks & Dunn.
“Chattahoochee,” “Any Man of Mine,” and “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” make a fine soundtrack for sweeping the kitchen or singing my way through another grocery run.
Living here in Georgia, just outside Atlanta, I appreciate a little country music while navigating a whole lot of suburban chaos. This playlist brings the sass, the sing-alongs, and the temptation to turn a wooden spoon into a microphone.
My kitchen may never be spotless, but it occasionally has excellent entertainment.
Drive Music: Turn It Up — Heavy Guitars, Hard Beats, and a Little Windshield Therapy 🚗🔥
And then there are the days when mama needs a little more distortion and a little less “what’s for dinner?”
I have those days, too.
Sometimes I want something heavier while I work through my mood and make my way to the next errand. Give me Linkin Park, Eminem, Audioslave, and Foo Fighters, and let me have my dashboard concert.
These 30 rock and rap favorites are for the days when my patience is running low and my brain has seventeen tabs open, including one that keeps repeating the grocery list.
I can love my family, handle my responsibilities, and still need a few songs with some grit. Southern manners and heavy guitars can absolutely ride in the same car.
Many tracks contain explicit lyrics, so I save this playlist for grown-up car rides. The girls already repeat enough things I wish they hadn’t heard. We do not need to expand the repertoire.
A Little Joy in the Middle of a Real Day
Music won’t make the appointments disappear or convince everybody to put their shoes where they belong. But it gives me something to enjoy while I move through the day. Sometimes I catch myself singing, loosen my shoulders, and realize I feel a little more like me.
My suggestion? Pick the playlist that fits your mood and give yourself three songs.
Sing in the car. Dance while you wipe the counters. Or sit with your coffee and listen before you start the next thing. You don’t have to turn every little break into another opportunity to be productive.
Some days, a cheerful chorus does the trick. Other days, you need to fume for a minute, eat a little chocolate, and let a guitar riff help you get going again.
Save these five 30-song lists for the next time your errands need a soundtrack or your kitchen needs a concert. The snacks will still be requested, and the laundry will probably still be there, but you deserve a little joy in the middle of it all.
Find your song, mama. You’re still in there, and you’re not the only one who needs a chorus or two to find her groove again.
#GoodMoodYall #MamaSelfCare #MomLife #KitchenDanceParty #DashboardConcert #GeorgiaMama #AtlantaMoms #SouthernMama #PlanItMom #PlanItMomUS
