Pulse Check Monday

This week’s Pulse Check Monday question: What’s one thing I learned about myself as a mom today?

This past weekend, I was completely toddler humbled by my three‑year‑old daughter.

She made a comment that my husband and I both agreed sounded a little dramatic. Without missing a beat, she responded, “I’m not dramatic, I’m just exhausted.” (Reminder: she is very much three years old. LOL.)

Her quick‑witted and alarmingly appropriate response stopped me in my tracks. It was a clear reminder that our children are literal sponges, always listening, always absorbing, and often understanding far more than we realize.The way we speak in front of our kids matters immensely. The way we speak to ourselves, about ourselves, and to the people we love is being cognitively stored in their tiny brains, shaping how they’ll one day speak to themselves.

Lately, I’ve been navigating some health issues, including the most intense fatigue I’ve experienced as a new mom. I work full‑time in healthcare, and some days it feels like a small miracle just to make it through the workday, followed by dinner, bath time, and bedtime.

There are evenings where I feel like I’m running on fumes, counting the minutes until the kids are asleep.

But here’s what I learned about myself:

Despite feeling exhausted nearly all the time, I am showing up.

I’m making it through my workdays. I’m engaging with my kids when I get home. I’m spending intentional time with my husband after bedtime, even when rest feels tempting. And while it doesn’t always feel impressive in the moment, it matters.

What this season is teaching me is that the way I speak about myself out loud matters not only to my children, but also to me.

When I label myself as “dramatic,” “exhausted,” or “barely surviving,” I’m reinforcing a narrative my daughters are quietly learning. And that’s not the story I want them to carry.

I want to raise girls who believe in themselves; girls who trust their abilities, honor their limits, and know they’re capable of hard things.

That means I need to model that belief, especially on the hard days.

I’m learning to speak to myself the same way I would speak to them if they were in my position: with grace, encouragement, and honesty. Acknowledging exhaustion without defining myself by it. Naming effort, not just outcomes.

This week’s Pulse Check Monday reminded me that positive self‑talk isn’t fluffy or unnecessary, it’s foundational.

A Moment for You

Take a breath and ask yourself:

• What’s one thing you think you’re doing really well as a mom right now?
• What’s one thing you’d like to work on or approach differently?

There’s no judgment here, only awareness. Growth begins with noticing.

However today looked for you, it counts. And if no one has said it yet: you’re doing more right than you think.