Motherhood is such a journey. You have a baby and your world changes. It changes in so many ways for the better, and then there are the harder changes. You suddenly care way less about yourself and your world revolves around this tiny being. You get less sleep, wear more yoga pants, and drink more coffee, but your world is perfect. Or is it?

Motherhood is hard. Not all days are sunny and full of rainbows. We have hard days where we cry in the bathroom and need a friend or our mom to talk to. People are always saying to enjoy the stage you are in because it goes so quickly, but this can be so hard.

Does anyone else struggle with being content where you are? I have two amazing young toddlers who I wouldn’t trade for the world, and yet I find myself dreaming of days when they will be older, in school, or not as whiny. Awful? No. Real life? Yes.

Social media tends to make this worse for us moms. If you scroll through your newsfeed on Facebook, you see pictures of moms who seem to have it all together. I can think of a couple of these moms who continuously post their highlight reel. Kids in matching dresses on vacation, moms with perfect make-up, and their families are poised and perfect. We see these things and want what they have. We want to appear to have it all together. We want our kids to be the ones who always get along, never throw fits in Target, and we want to be the moms with perfectly kept nails and eyebrows.

Material things are also a struggle for us moms. Facebook is full of groups where you can sell your kids things and buy new toys for them. I honestly enjoy these groups, but I find myself having to take a break from them occasionally. We want the best toys. We want our kids to have the nicest clothes. We see other moms who have play rooms and outdoor toys and we think, “Man, if only we had a bigger house and money to buy those toys!”

I don’t have the answer on how to be content, moms. This is something I struggle with daily. With two little ones and one due this fall, I am finding myself desiring a bigger car and a house with another bedroom. But, do I really need these things? No. I want to choose to be happy with what my family has. I mean the important things aren’t the toys, clothes, perfect pictures, and immaculate homes, right?

I want to focus on the fun. I want to embrace toddlerhood and all of the crazy that comes with it. It’s okay if my kids don’t look perfect. My daughter has decided at age 2 that she can choose her wardrobe. It’s okay if we look a little crazy in Target and my kid is eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch to get me through a long list. It’s okay if we don’t have a big house or a new car.

I want to cherish my kids every day and the gift of being a mom. I want to be content.

Karyn Meyerhoff is a mom of 2 in Northeast Indiana where she loves the giggles, messes, and crazy outfits that fill her days.