The Living Room Takeover

If you have children, you can understand this post, all to well, I am sure. I am talking about what you once had and how quickly it becomes your child's. This space was once my living room. A big, beautiful sectional that I could lounge on and relax (let's be real here, though; I use the term "relaxing" loosely), a rug, coffee table, and décor that was Pinterest worthy! But with 3 kids (3 very young kids), their toys and necessities quickly take over. As I sat in my living room one day and looked around at the chaos, I decided it was time to waive the white flag and surrender my space and that is when the playroom was born.

Once I get an idea in my head, there is no talking me out of it, a lesson my husband has had to learn a time or two. If I was foregoing my large living room for a playroom, it was going to be the best playroom I could put together. This space was going to give the kids the ability to lounge, read, explore, play, and most importantly, make memories. I actually found that after this space was complete, I found myself wanting to be a part of their play so much more than when it was just a mess of chaos in my living room. But who benefited from this space more was our children. They can drive their cars all over the floor, dance and sing, and most of all, have the ability to break free of the confinement they were in when the space was mine and less geared for kids.

I have many wake up calls as a mother. I am all too easily persuaded to follow a certain mold of what my home should look like. But who does that really benefit? Sure, it makes me happy, but it's not a deep, feel good happy that creates contentment. I am all the time reminding myself that this season my husband and I are in won't last forever and we need to make the most of it. One day, we will miss all these toddler and baby toys and our kids creating a mess of play. That is when I try fully allow myself to engage and explore this life through my children's eyes. I try to play and create like they would. I will admit, this does not come naturally for me. My husband can lay on the floor and play cars and dolls all day, just like he is one of the kids, but for me, it takes practice, patience, and commitment. I am not sure when I lost that ability to cut free from everything else around me and be creative and let loose, but I am making it my goal to try and gain that part of me back and be more interactive with my kid's play time. I want them to look back on their childhood and remember mom being fun, carefree, and creative, instead of stressed, tired, and on edge. I have to give myself grace since I have been pregnant and breastfeeding, most of the time, at the same time, for the past 4.5 years, but giving myself grace means to acknowledge it is ok to have bad days and not be on point 100% of the time, but always striving for the best for the sake of my kids and their smiles.

At the end of the day, when I go through my house, turning off the lights before bed, I stop and stare at the room that was once my space, and it makes me smile knowing the memories and joy that are now created in this room are more grand and valuable than any item I had in here prior. Those memories and moments are the type of happiness that fills up your tank and really deepens your feeling of contentment and joy. When you have enough of those moments, the surface stuff becomes less important and easier to let go of.

#Playroom #LivingRoom #Kids