6 Strategies to Be More Than a Hot Mess Mom

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I just googled “hot mess mom” and about 84,200 results popped up. Houston, we have a problem. I don’t want to be a hot mess mom, but I also don’t want to aspire to be a perfect mom.

I want to be me – an aspiring writer-teacher-encourager, wife to my sweetheart, and mom to a super fun little guy. Someone who is a lifelong learner and enjoys her life (most of the time). You feel me?

I totally think this is possible, too – to pursue a joy-filled lifestyle for yourself and those with whom you share your home.

You can live intentionally with passion and purpose as God’s beloved.

In this post, we’ll talk about what is a “hot mess mom,” where I’m coming from, and dig into some positive proactive actionable strategies for pursuing peace and joy.

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Let’s dive in!

What is a “hot mess mom”?

We can all go through seasons where mom-ing it can be rough. Learning how to be a parent on limited sleep, responding to toddler tantrums, navigating teenager emotions, and so forth.

Sometimes life is just plain hard. It’s okay to own that.

Heck, make a list of what’s so dang hard. Sometimes naming it can help you claim it!

I don’t think, though, that we were intended to live a perpetually frazzled and overwhelmed life.

You were designed for so much more than that.

P.S. You can do hard things, friend. You’re not intended to go this life alone!

Where I’m coming from about being a hot mess mom

Before discussing strategies, here’s my background about mom-ing.

I’ve been parenting one child for almost two years, so I’m obviously an expert. (I kid. Pun accidental but satisfying…)

I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to be a mom, and I especially didn’t want to be a stay-at-home mom. Having our son prematurely changed my perspective, so now I’m staying-at-home with Little Man. (By the way, this kid is such a delight!)

Incorporating these ideas into our life required the buy-in of my family, namely the Husband (also incredibly delightful!). Fortunately, he was all for creating whitespace in our lives.

If you’re a single mom, working parent, or have more kids, I think these ideas can be relevant to you.

What does your “hot mess mom” look like?

Seriously, what it is about the “hot mess mom” image that makes you cringe?

What would (or does) it look like for you to feel like a “hot mess mom”? What about it makes you feel frazzled, overwhelmed and out of control?

Write it down. Say it out loud. Do whatever helps you identify what would make you feel like less-than.

My hope is that the strategies below may help you create a little mental, emotional and physical whitespace so you don’t perpetually feel like a “hot mess mom.”

Try time blocking or themed days to not be a hot mess mom

During the first year or so of adjusting to life with a baby, I googled the heck out of daily rhythms for babies.

I felt like a hot mess mom – overwhelmed with how to take care of this baby and myself.

We both needed some loose, yet predictable structure for our days.

In fact, when I learned that routines improve my child’s brain and can help him become more socially advanced, I was even more eager to establish some family routines.

It helped me to identify what needed to be priorities in our day-to-day activities and then create the space for that to happen.

For instance, time blocking helped me develop a simple focus for different parts of my day.

Shifting to a theme day mindset also helped with housework, laundry-ish (little kids are messy!), administrative work, cooking, planning, etc.

(Weekly planning really helped me figure out my personal best flow for time blocking and theme days!)

Below are a couple examples of our current timeblock flow and theme days. This has changed over time as my son has grown and our capacity has changed.

What works for me may not work for you. Regardless, I encourage you to sketch out what are some sustainable rhythms that could give life to your family.

My Example: A Normal Timeblocked Day

Blocks	Normal Day
MORNING DAILIES	Personal Priorities (hair, makeup, get dressed, pray, Scripture, journal, etc.) Breakfast with son Get child ready for day
PLAY + ADMIN	Outdoor time/Music Class/Play inside Snack Play House Task (cleaning, cooking, laundry, etc.)
INDEPENDENT PLAY	MommaStrong Personal priority catch-up (if he woke up early!) / email/social media…
LUNCH	Lunch Play
NAP	Naptime Cup fillers & non-kid friendly tasks
AFTERNOON	Snack Play/Color Get active!
INDEPENDENT PLAY	Shower Couples Bible discussion Personal time/Standing discussion
SUPPER	Meal prep for next day(s) Supper
EVENING	Kid bathtime Family Play Healthy Movement Kid bedtime

My Example: Theme Days

Day	Theme priorities for each day
Monday	Clean bedrooms + bathrooms
Tuesday	Clean hallway + living room + home office
Wednesday	Clean kitchen + dining room Make bulk food with Little Man
Thursday	Laundry Cleaning catch-up
Friday	Laundry My weekly planning
Saturday	Family weekly planning Meal planning
Sunday	Budget check + action-taking (if we weren’t able to do that Saturday)

Design spaces in your home to be a “yes” space to not be a hot mess mom

This is primarily geared toward the parents of younger kids. You’ve baby-proofed your house. Now, let’s talk about creating “yes” spaces.

Instead of feeling like a hot mess mom in my living space, I feel at rest.

It’s been so peace-giving to create more “yes” spaces in my home whenever possible.

Let’s be real, it’s amazing to go to the bathroom and not worry about your child being able to easily hurt himself or his environment.

Resources for creating “yes” spaces

I’m not the expert on this topic, so here’s some handy resources to get you going:

• A Beautiful Childhood: The Peaceful Home Part I: Creating “yes spaces”
• How We Montessori: Creating a ‘yes’ Space for Babies and Toddlers
• Respectful Caregiving: Creating a Safe Play Space

Make independent play part of your routine to not be a hot mess mom

First off, Rachel Norman from A Mother Far From Home is one of my parenting heroes. In addition to SO MANY fantastic resources, she wrote a phenomenal article about Why Kids Need Independent Play and How to Start.

(Seriously, check out her article. It’s so helpful!)

Incorporating independent play time into our daily rhythm has been a game-changer.

Little Man gets time to develop his creativity, independence, problem-solving,and imagination. He gets to learn how to enjoy time by himself (not just sleeping) – what a gift!

Parent time during independent play has been a great opportunity to…

• Do a brief work-out
• Catch up on journalling and Scripture reading
• Check email and social media (working on reducing that more)
• Shower!
• Cuddle with my husband when he’s off work!
• Have more focused discussions with my husband, including reviewing our budget, meal planning, weekly planning or our own Bible discussion

Incorporate your child into daily tasks to not be a hot mess mom

I’ve been leaning into Montessori philosophies and approaches.

One of my favorite principles is of teaching children “practical life” skills. It’s all about providing children with the opportunity to develop healthy independence and learn how to contribute to their community.

Woohoo!

By involving your child in household tasks, they are…

• Learning skills they can use in their adult lives
• Develop relationship skills, including how to work as a team
• Developing competency and responsibility
• Helping your family flourish!

I’ve enjoyed incorporating Little Man into household tasks whenever possible. His curiosity, even as infant, made these activities more fun, too!

Suggested activities to do with your young child

Below are a few activities we’ve enjoyed doing together, even if it means he’s observing or haphazardly doing it. (That’s okay, too!)

• Dusting
• Swiffering and vacuuming – Pro tip: I realized I could shorten the Swiffer to his height (he got frustrated with the long handle) and he’s frequently dragging it around the house.
• Unloading the dishwasher – I finally realized I could incorporate him into this around 18 months. Before inviting him to help unload the dishwasher, I pull out all the knives and more concerning items. Such a delight to do together!
• Laundry – A classic since 6 months old!
• Checking the mail
• Wiping tables and countertops
• Prepping food (like sandwiches)
• Blending smoothies
• … and so forth

Suggested products that make this more do-able and fun

A few tools that have made doing this even more friendly include:

• Baby Wrap Carrier – here’s the one we got – we both LOVE this tower! (Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it’s available anymore. Alternative options are listed below.)

Resources for age-appropriate chores

Again, I’m learning as I go. Here’s some resources to give you ideas about incorporating your child into daily tasks:

• Age of Montessori: Helping with Household Chores Can Transform Your Child!
• The Montessori Notebook: Age Appropriate Chores for Children
• Raising Children.net.au: Household chores for children

Prioritize your cup fillers to not be a hot mess mom

First, I gotta let you know – sleep was a huge challenge in house for the first several months.

Little Man would only sleep if he was being held. This also meant that naptimes meant I was sitting with him, trying to stay as still as possible so he wouldn’t wake.

Oh the things I would do differently…

Anyway, once he learned how to sleep on his own in his bed (hallelujah!!), I had some new time for myself.

At first, I tried to do the house hustle of chores, phone calls, etc. But… I started to realize that I was feeling way more hacked off when Little Man woke up.

Why? I wasn’t actually prioritizing things that re-energized me – cup-fillers.

Rather than focusing on tasks I “ought to do,” I shifted to focusing on pursuing activities that energized me and helped me be my best.

I’ve learned that I’m way more excited to be reunited with Little Man after pursuing cupfillers than cleaning a bathroom. (Surprise!)

Think about what fills your cup and try to incorproate it into your open space times. Here’s some ideas to get you started:

• Study your Bible – this could be your devotional time!
• Journal
• Blog
• Learn some new skills
• Exercise
• Cook
• Craft or DIY something
• Call a kindred spirit
• Take a shower or a bath
• Enjoy your favorite beverage or snack
• Watch a TV show or movie that makes you think or laugh
• Read a book
• Look up topics you’re curious about
• More ideas here: 51 Simple Joy Boosting Ideas for Your Day to Day

Play with your child to not be a hot mess mom

Finally, one of the best things I’m learning how to not be a hot mess mom, is to be present.

A few other principles I’m leaning into from the Montessori philosophy is observation and following the child.

In many ways, this is all about being present and just observing your child. Rather than immediately jumping in to correct your child or help them, you quietly watch them learn. It’s a fantastic way to give your child space in their play and tune into what they’re actually drawn to.

To be clear, following the child doesn’t mean you just let your child hurt themselves, others or the environment. It does mean you notice what kind of activities they’re drawn to and create the environment to faciliate that.

For instance, Little Man has loved finding round objects and throwing them at the ground. He gets a thrill from watching them bounce, roll and spin. So, we consciously provide safe objects for him to toss and play with.

As another example, Little Man really enjoys practicing his opening, closing, in and out skills, So, I’ve been providing him with objects to put into a variety of containers to practice opening, closing, putting in and out skills.

This has helped me reduce my overthinking a smidgeon, “Am I giving him enough learning opportunities?!” and be more present for his play. It’s also way more fun, too!

Articles about Montessori principles

• Child of the Redwoods
• Daily Montessori
• Montessori Services: The Art of Observation

Two resources to help you start incorporating these tips in your life

Articles related to being more than a hot mess mom

• 10 Practical, Peace-Giving Positive Proactive Action Ideas You Can Use Today!
• What legacy for your child are you creating? (5 priceless legacies to leave!)
• 51 Simple Joy Boosting Ideas for Your Day to Day
• Feeling small? Like you don’t measure up? Friend, you are God’s beloved.
• 5 Favorite High-Impact Playtime Products for Babies and Toddlers
• 5 Best Mealtime Products for Babies through Toddlers

Recapping how you can be MORE than a hot mess mom

I hope you found encouragement from these practical strategies to help you feel less like a hot mess mom. As we’ve discussed, you can…

In this post, we’ll talk about what is a “hot mess mom,” where I’m coming from, and some strategies for pursuing peace and joy.

1. Try time blocking or themed days to not be a hot mess mom
2. Design spaces in your home to be a “yes” space to not be a hot mess mom
3. Make independent play normal to not be a hot mess mom
4. Incorporate your child into daily tasks to not be a hot mess mom
5. Prioritize your cup fillers to not be a hot mess mom
6. Play with your child to not be a hot mess mom

Like I shared, I’m still pretty new at this parenting gig.

You can live intentionally with passion and purpose as God’s beloved.

It’s your turn. What strategies do you use to rock out at mom life? I know you have SO MUCH wisdom from your own experience. Let’s talk in the comments!

P.S. Want some crazy simple steps to start living intentionally? Grab the Embrace Your Potential Playbook. It’ll help you zoom in on your God-gifted personality and give you practical tips to be more intentional, passionate, and purposeful as God’s beloved so you can become the best version of yourself.