Sensory Overload

When my husband gets home from work and asks me how my day was, and I say it wasn’t good, it was overwhelming, I didn’t connect with the kids. He’ll say “oh no, what happened?” and I almost want to say “nothing”. Because repeating it back feels silly. It’s never one big thing that happened, it’s the build-up of all the little things.

It’s the sticky little hands grabbing me when I’ve just put a clean top on. It’s the porridge boiling over in the microwave for the third time that morning. It’s the rice all over the floor and sticking to my feet because I thought I would try some “sensory play” so I could drink my coffee in peace. But that same coffee just got knocked over when my toddler ran across the room. 
Now there’s rice to clean up, and coffee to clean up, a fresh top to put on, and don’t forget the microwave that’s covered in porridge, and I still haven’t had my own breakfast.
It’s the crying from my tired baby, my arms sore and my back burning from rocking, finally asleep in their cot, when the dog barks at the postman and my baby is awake and crying again.

Yet all I want is a coffee, a second to myself, but the rice is still all over the floor and stuck to my feet and now my toddler is asking to do painting, and I need to get the baby back to sleep. I ask my toddler to please wait, but now my toddler is crying too and pulling at my legs.

Now I’ve hit overwhelm. I feel so guilty, why am I not more in control? Why is my house always such a mess? Why am I not having a calm day of connection with my children? 
I feel so envious of my husband getting to go to a clean, quiet office, where he only has to take care of himself, no one is grabbing at him all day, or putting food on his clothes, he doesn’t need to wonder where that weird smell is coming from. This isn’t quite what I had prepared for in motherhood, the mess, the noise, the constant touch. Is it like this for everyone? Is it just me?

Thanks to a special mama for sharing her experience with us this week.

The term “Sensory Overload” is becoming more common when Mothers talk about their parenting experience.
The sounds, smells, changes in routine, and extra demands of Mothering can feel overwhelming for many, and contribute to the daily parenting experience of how we relate to our kids and the world around us.