Dana Sue's Gift of Permission for Mother's Day

The mom behind Creative QT, Dana Sue Hinkle, likes to keep it real. She's a Mom of five and recognizes the daily struggles that all mothers face. Here she shares her thoughts on the reality of motherhood, good and bad! Learn more about the vision behind Creative QT here.

Preface: As I write this post on motherly advice, I have told my 2 year old to go to bed for the 55th time (a bit louder each time), my kitchen is filled with tonight’s dinner mess, and since my kids didn’t clean up, but decided to sneak off to play after dinner, they are waking up at 5 a.m. to finish their chores. So I'm not really the expert on mom advice, but here’s what I have for you on Mother’s Day.

I totally want to be ‘that mom.' The one who shows up to the party with the perfect hair, matching pearl earrings and necklace, and obedient kids dressed like they just fell out of a Norman Rockwell painting; but unfortunately, that’s not me. We’re closer to that family whose kid showed up with unbrushed hair and no shoes on, but I still count it as a win because she does have clothes on.

I can’t keep up. There are too many cute houses, adorable crafts, healthy eating plans, workout routines for that leftover baby fat, etc. out there. Pinterest can make me feel like a sub-par mom for sure. My husband, Adam, reminds me often, “The only people that have it all together, are the people you don’t know very well.” The truth is, we all have messy parts in our lives.

We moms run ourselves ragged to do and be all of the things we think we are supposed to. But let’s face it, the unicorn cake from Pinterest looked more like a rhinoceros, and the carrot soup recipe I wanted to try was a bit of an epic fail (not sure why I thought that would taste good in the first place).

But then I am quietly reminded that He (God) has chosen me to be their Mom. And suddenly, I am enough. My house is not that perfect picture of cleanliness (although I am still striving for that one), my two year old ate a pretzel out of my dust pile (and I waited so he could grab it! Ugh!), I get frustrated and my mom voice goes from Mary Poppins to Batman when my kids aren’t behaving... I could seriously keep going. But let’s count our wins, ladies. When you do drop what you are doing to read to your kid for 15 minutes. When they leave the house fully clothed and no crazy bed head. When you made that DIY on Pinterest and it looks pretty darn good. Take your wins. But make sure you give yourself the grace as well when the above don't play out.

So, I’m giving you the gift of permission. Permission to be that frazzled, messy up do wearing, sleepy eyed, in sweat pants, with kids who haven’t bathed in 3 days (maybe 4, can’t remember), needing that second cup of coffee mom that your kids need. YOU are a beautiful mess. And your kids don’t need perfect, they just need YOU. You, beautiful, beautiful mama!

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Creative QT designs quality + innovative toys that declutter homes and inspire creative play. Founded by parents of five, Adam and Dana Sue Hinkle, Creative QT’s vision is to empower parents and encourage a culture of families that Make Time Together. All products are designed to enrich families’ lives through active, creative play and play based learning. Creative QT products are laboratory tested for compliance with CPSC requirements and are free of lead, cadmium and phthalates so you can play with confidence. So, go ahead … today is the day: be your kid’s hero.

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