Welcome to another edition of the series, Unmasked, where I interview women on their personal relationship with either marriage or motherhood. Today, I am excited to feature Katie Davis of Delightfully Frazzled.
Katie Davis is a wife and mother of two crazy-wonderful boys (2 and 4 months) and a spoiled cat. She runs the blog Delightfully Frazzled, where she writes about the chaotic joys of motherhood, DIY projects, and green living. When she’s not blogging or chasing her toddler around, she enjoys theatre, crafting, anime, and people-watching.
Here’s more about Katie:
How do you keep your motherhood happy?
I’ve learned that I need to keep a balance between giving my all for my kiddos and taking care of myself. When my first son was born, I had no concept of the emotional toll motherhood would be and I struggled alone, thinking that needing a break made me a “bad mom,” in a sense. Since then, I’ve learned how to take time for myself to recharge. This self-love has then made me a more patient, happy mom!
What is a unique tradition you have with your kids?
My boys are both still pretty little, so we haven’t started a ton of traditions with them yet. However, I LOVE Halloween and the past two years we’ve had coordinating costumes! The first year, we went as the Golden Trio from Harry Potter: my firstborn is a ginger so he was Ron, my husband was Harry, and I was Hermione. This year we went as Pokemon characters!
What is something you struggle with as a mother?
Right now, my oldest is in his “terrible twos” and is testing his boundaries in very extreme ways. He also hasn’t started fully talking yet, which can make communicating frustrating for both of us. I try to respond in gentle, teachable ways, but I sometimes struggle with being patient and consistent in consequences.
What encouragement or advice do you have for others dealing with the same thing?
As with pretty much any challenge in motherhood, it always help to be incredibly patient (easier said than done sometimes!). I take a step back, take a deep breath or two, and try to remember that this is just a phase. I also like to spend just as much effort in rewarding and praising good behavior as creating consequences for bad behavior. Consistency is also key– if you discipline for a negative behavior once, you need to do it every time.
Why is motherhood important to you?
At the risk of sounding cliche, the bond between mothers and their children is truly one of the most powerful forces in nature. A mother is the first person in our lives, and we automatically trust her completely and depend on her for everything. I love the opportunity to care for and teach my boys every day, and watching them learn is one of the greatest joys of my life. It’s a two-way bond too– they make me want to be a better person and have filled my heart with so much love.
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