noise /noiz/ 1. Talk about or make known publicly.

Motherhood is hard. It's hard when we have 1 child and hard when we have 3. But what makes motherhood even HARDER? When do we get to the point when we stop caring about the {noise} of other’s whose opinions don’t matter? Wouldn’t that make motherhood easier for us all?

There are different scenarios and situations every day in which our motherly capabilities are tested and our children test our last strand of patience.

This is motherhood. Real, raw, motherhood.

But then, to make matters worse, these days, we are judged, even by strangers, according to how we handle these situations.

At some point, I think we all need to stop caring {gasp} about the labels and judgments from others and acknowledge that we are just trying to raise our kids to be the best, most respectful humans possible and we will no longer give a {F} about what other's think.

I basically reached that point when baby #3 arrived.

For instance, taking my girls anywhere, by myself, with all 3 together, is rarely something I truly look forward to. Because, frankly, taking 3 kids under 5 {anywhere} is not a simple and enjoyable chore. Honestly, I dread it. I spend more time correcting them, asking them to use their manners and saying "excuse us" than I do actually shopping.

Perfect example: every quick trip to the grocery store with all 3 girls turns into chaos. Usually, the older two are fighting over who is pushing my cart or who is “the leader” when we are all pushing our own carts. Many times, after 15 minutes, they are whining that their legs are tired and they can't walk. Then they either start fighting over who is sitting IN the cart and is taking up more space OR they start tattletaling on who is adding items from the shelves to their cart. The baby is usually screaming to get out of the cart and somehow, no matter how tight I strap her in, she manages to climb out every time. Sometimes, if I’m lucky, I can get her to stay in the “big” part of the cart...then she steps on all the groceries until I pick her up and carry her. If there is anything Mickey Mouse in sight, she's yelling for the item at the top of her lungs. Does this sound like a fun outing for me?! Heck no!

These trips used to be SO embarrassing to me when I had just two kids. I was mortified when I got stares or jabs from {usually} older women, as if they were thinking, "get your kids in check, girl!" I hadn’t reached “the point” yet where I stoped caring about the {noise} and receiving the looks and comments really bothered me.

But then I had Delaney...baby #3. I was the mom with 3 daughters under 4 and getting out of the house was necessary for my sanity...even if the trips were loud and chaotic. It didn't matter to me if I was going to the grocery store, walking around the craft store or even to Panera for lunch...mama needed to be out with the rest of humanity and my kids were going to learn to deal with it lol

That is when I stopped caring about the {noise}.

It doesn't bother me anymore when that older woman looks at me and says, "wow, you really have your hands full with 3 girls, you girls need to be good for your mommy!"...as they are pushing shopping carts up each other's heels and 1 is yelling. I just smile and say, "yep!" and keep moving.

Then there are times when strangers give me the death stare for giving the baby my phone to watch Mickey Mouse so I can get in and out of a department store dressing room as quickly as possible without taking a trip to the ER for stitches. Oh well, lady... you can stare all day. Unless you want a 21 month old climbing under your dressing room stall and undressing you herself, mind your own damn business!

I don't give a {F} any longer about the noise. Because that’s all it is...

I came to the realization that having kids is hard and toddlers = chaotic moments...and usually those moments are out in public 🤷🏻‍♀️

That’s not to say these trips aren’t stressful and frustrating... I promise you, they are. But I've learned not to let the {noise} bother me.

This is all just a part of parenting, right? A right of passage, so to speak. Sometimes, I see other moms (complete strangers) in the store, dealing with the same chaos, and we make eye contact and exchange quick sentiments with one another...basically saying, “Hey, we are going through the same stage of life and I’m with ya, sister!” A little encouragement can go a long way.

Maybe these {noisemakers} I speak of forget what it was like to have little ones so close together, or maybe some people never experienced parenthood so they aren't fully aware of what is "normal". But the next time you feel yourself getting upset over the craziness, remember, this mom gig is hard. Chaos is normal and in all actuality, you should really stop caring about the {noise} because you're just trying to raise decent human beings.