Mom First… but Who Am I Again?

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I’m a mom first and foremost.

And if I’m being really honest… that’s kind of the problem.

Being a mom first means my kids eat, have a roof over their heads, and have clothes on their backs. It means late nights with coughs, sniffles, and those “I just need you close” moments. It means putting everyone else first—every single time.

It also means I put myself on the back burner.
Like… way back. Behind the boiling pot. Possibly forgotten entirely.

Somewhere between school drop-offs, grocery runs, and surviving on cold coffee, I forgot a little bit about me. Not “me-the-mom,” but me-the-human.

And now? I’m being forced to face that.

My youngest is going on a LONG trip with my mom and sister. I thought I’d be thrilled. Freedom! Sleep! Silence!
Instead… I’m a little sad. Mostly because she was so excited to go.

I genuinely thought her life revolved around me.
Turns out… it does not.
Rude. 😂

So here I am. My mom duties are temporarily transferred, my house is quieter, and I’m standing here wondering:

What do I even do with myself?

This season is about figuring out who I am outside of being “Mom.”
What do I like to do in my personal free time?
What hobbies do I have that don’t involve snacks or laundry?

I’m going to take this journey—and I want you to come with me.

I’ll be blogging regularly as I try new things, revisit old interests, and maybe discover a version of myself that doesn’t answer to “Mom?” every five minutes.


And here’s where YOU come in 

I need suggestions.

Tell me:

  • What do you do when you finally get free time?

  • What hobbies helped you feel like yourself again?

  • What should I try—even if it sounds ridiculous?

I have a few ideas of my own, but I’d love to hear from other moms who’ve been here.
Let’s laugh about how moms forget themselves while raising humans—and remind each other that it’s okay to take ourselves off the back burner once in a while.

Drop your ideas, and I’ll see if I can do them… then update you as I go.

Because moms deserve more than just surviving—we deserve to rediscover ourselves, too. 

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 20, 2025 at 1:14 PM

    What I do when I have free time is self-reflection. I dig deep to try to understand what makes me tick and happy. Once I find that out I will then create a plan to incorporate that into my life. A plan helps me stay focus and ensure I reach my goal. I found myself in a similar situation - lost and not knowing what to do. I was so focused on getting my sickness / diagnosis under control that I lost myself in the process. I realized I was not doing the things I enjoyed and reach a depressive state. After self-reflection I realized something I enjoy and easy to get back doing is cooking. I created a plan and will start doing more of it in the coming weeks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JocelinDecember 20, 2025 at 10:26 PM

      I’m happy you’re finding your balance. Let us know how your cooking routine is going
      Thank you for your thoughts. Self reflection is something I can do more of

      Delete

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