06/05/2026
Why is mom guilt such a thing?! I took my kids to the splash pad for the first time on a playdate with some friends. My daughter was fearless and loved every second! My son was overstimulated by the noise, the smell, and the sheer number of kids that started pouring in after the first 30 minutes. 😩 he kept tugging my arm and yelling “up” or screaming “no!” And would not play anymore.
I was so fed up and annoyed and I did not handle it well… I tried to negotiate with an overstimulated 2 year old as an overstimulated mom and obviously, it did not work. He kept losing it and we were both miserably sitting under the umbrella and as I was about ready to just pack it up and leave, he looked at me and said “loud mommy”. I covered his ears up and he immediately calmed down. We played on the play train, he had a snack, and he even dipped his toes in the water to watch the buckets dump on other kids.
He still had some moments of being overstimulated, hot, and tired and desperately needed a nap all afternoon but both kids went to bed early without a fight, so yay! But now I’m sitting here, feeling guilty for not being able to help my boy sooner so we could have a slightly more enjoyable morning. But we still had a good day overall so why am I obsessing?
I know I’m not the only mom who feels this way? I love my kiddos and I want to have good experiences with them. Being their mama is all I’ve ever wanted so here’s to more fun experiences and hopefully less overstimulated moms and kids next time!
