Who I Was Before Kids vs. Who I Am Now
(Still me… just tired)
There was a time, y’all… a magical little era… when I thought being tired meant staying up too late watching TV and eating Taco Bell at 11 PM.
What a precious, naive little fool I was. 😅
Because now? Now I’m tired in ways that require:
reheated coffee
sitting silently in the pantry
and occasionally staring into the distance while someone yells “Mama” from another room for the 47th time.
And yet somehow… I’m still me.
Just… louder internally and more dependent on caffeine.
☕ Before Kids: “I Need a Break”
Before kids, a break meant:
brunch
shopping
naps
spontaneous Target runs for fun
Now? A break is:
sitting in the car alone for two extra minutes
folding laundry without interruptions
going to the grocery store by myself like it’s a luxury vacation
Honestly, if nobody touches me for 20 minutes, I feel reborn.
👜 Before Kids: Cute Purse
After Kids: Emergency Supply Mule
I used to carry:
lip gloss
wallet
cute little purse snacks for me
Now I carry:
Band-Aids
fruit snacks
random socks
receipts from 2024
crayons with no paper
one sticky sucker
and emotional support Goldfish crackers
Somewhere in that bag is probably my dignity too.
😴 Before Kids: Sleep Was a Basic Human Right
Remember sleeping through the night?
Me neither.
Now sleep is this mysterious thing I hear about from people who don’t have children climbing into their bed whispering:
“Mama… I frew up.”
Or:
“Mama… I had a bad dream.”
Or my personal favorite:
“Mama… Nugget is looking at me weird.”
🚗 Before Kids: Clean Car
HAHAHAHAHAHA.
That’s it. That’s the section.
💃 Before Kids: “I’ll Never…”
Oh, I had opinions.
I said things like:
“My kids won’t eat in the car.”
“I’ll keep the house picked up.”
“I won’t bribe my children.”
Fast forward to now:
I literally handed somebody gummies in Target to avoid a public emotional collapse.
Not proud.
Not ashamed either.
Survival is survival, mama.
🧠 The Biggest Change Nobody Talks About
It’s not the mess.
Or the exhaustion.
Or even the constant noise.
It’s that your brain is never fully “off” anymore.
You’re always thinking about:
appointments
school forms
birthdays
shoes that suddenly don’t fit
what’s for dinner
whether the dog ate something weird
if everyone is emotionally okay
It’s beautiful… and exhausting.
Like being the CEO of a tiny emotional startup that throws crackers at you.
💛 But Here’s What Stayed the Same
Under the messy bun… under the mom brain… under the layer of dry shampoo and cracker crumbs…
I’m still me.
I still:
laugh too hard at dumb things
love cozy nights at home
blast music in the car
dream about future plans
need time to myself sometimes
Motherhood changed me… but it didn’t erase me.
And I think a lot of moms need to hear that.
🫶 Final Thoughts From This Tired Mama
Maybe you don’t recognize yourself some days.
Maybe you miss parts of the “before kids” version of you.
That’s normal.
Because motherhood adds layers. Responsibilities. Noise. Fatigue. Tiny humans asking for snacks while you’re already making snacks.
But the old you is still in there.
She just has:
less sleep
more laundry
and stronger opinions about stain remover.
And honestly?
She’s doing pretty dang good.
So if you’re tired, overwhelmed, and wondering who you even are anymore…
you’re not alone, mama.
You’re still you.
Just tired 💛
#MomLife #MotherhoodUnfiltered #TiredMom #RealMotherhood #MomHumor #SouthernMom #MessyBunLife #MomBrain #AtlantaMoms #GeorgiaMom #PlanItMom #PlanItMomUS
