We’ve all been there. We have things to do and places to be, so we drag our children along as they protest—refusing to put on their shoes or even walk out the door. They become emotional, then we become emotional, and all we can think is, “If you would just listen, this would be so much easier.”

Now, those moments happen far less often. I credit this to the conscious effort I’ve made to slow myself down—adjusting my mindset, my demeanor, and the way I handle daily life. The biggest difference? I no longer stress when things don’t go as planned. Because they rarely do. The more children you have, the more you learn that plans often change.

Maybe everyone is dressed and ready to go. You even remembered all the water bottles. Then, inevitably, the baby has a blowout and you fall behind schedule. In the past, I would have cried at a moment like this. Now, I stay calm. Stressing, getting upset, or spiraling in my thoughts never improves the situation.

You can rush out the door yelling and still be late. Or you can calmly get everyone ready, help where it’s needed, and maybe still be late—but with a completely different energy. Over time, practicing this mindset makes life feel smoother, even in chaos.

And don’t beat yourself up when you slip back into old habits. One moment doesn’t undo your progress. Dwelling on mistakes only makes it harder to grow into the parent you want to be.

So if you feel like you’ve been running on empty, taking even small steps toward slowing down might be exactly what you need. This quote really spoke to me and I think it applys here… “It is more important to go slow and gain the lessons you need along the journey than to rush the process and arrive at your destination empty.” (quote by Germany Kent)