You know that moment when you finally sit down at the end of the day and your brain starts spinning through all the things you still haven’t done?
Lunch boxes for tomorrow.
That one permission slip.
The washing machine you forgot to turn on (again).
And oh yeah you still haven’t replied to that email from last Thursday. Welcome to the invisible load.
It’s the stuff no one thanks you for, no one really sees, but it’s always there.
You can be running a business, showing up for your kids, remembering everyone’s birthdays, keeping the fridge stocked, and still feel like you’re somehow failing because something always slips through the cracks.
But here’s the thing I’m learning (slowly):
You can love your life and still feel overwhelmed by it.
You can adore your kids and still crave silence.
You can be proud of your business and still want to throw your phone into the ocean sometimes.
Motherhood is a thousand invisible jobs wrapped in one big heart.
Some mornings, I feel like a superhero.
Other mornings, I feel like I’m running a marathon with a backpack full of wet towels.
There’s no clock-in or clock-out. No “annual leave” from being Mum.
You just keep showing up, doing your best — even when your best looks like frozen pizza and pyjamas at 4pm.
I used to think balance meant getting it all right.
Now I think balance means being honest about what’s realistically possible — and letting the rest wait until tomorrow.
If my kids are fed, hugged, and know they’re loved, that’s a good day.
If I manage to shower and get through my inbox, that’s a great day.
The truth is, nobody claps for the invisible stuff.
The little things that hold a family together the gentle reminders, the emotional glue, the late-night pep talks, the mental checklists that never stop looping.
But I see you, and I know you feel it too.
Because when you’re a mum, you don’t just carry your own emotions you carry everyone else’s too.
The stress, the excitement, the disappointment, the homework tears.
You hold it all.
And it’s heavy.
So here’s my gentle reminder (for you and for me):
Put something down.
It doesn’t all need to be done today.
The world won’t crumble if you leave a few dishes in the sink.
You’re allowed to rest.
You’re allowed to ask for help.
You’re allowed to have a meltdown, eat the chocolate, and start fresh tomorrow.
Because you’re not failing you’re just doing the work of five people, quietly.
And maybe that’s the most powerful thing about mums
We make the invisible visible, every single day.
From one tired but grateful mum to another:
You’re doing better than you think.
And if no one’s told you lately I see how hard you’re trying.
Ash x
Founder, Sand + Salt Kids
Clothes made for chaos. Love made for mums like you.