🧘‍♀️ Finding Balance with Toddlers (and Yourself)

If I had a dollar for every time I said, “I just need five minutes,” I could probably hire someone to give me those five minutes.

Life with toddlers is a full-contact sport — equal parts laughter, laundry, and emotional endurance. One minute they’re hugging you like you’re made of magic; the next, they’re crying because you peeled their banana wrong.

And somehow, we’re supposed to maintain balance through it all.

🌿 The Myth of “Balance”

Here’s the thing I’ve learned (the hard way):

Balance doesn’t look like a calm yoga pose in matching athleisure.

It looks like:

• Sending an email while reheating mac & cheese.

• Taking a deep breath before saying no for the 47th time.

• Choosing connection over control.

• Letting go of “perfect” and aiming for “peaceful enough.”

  
  

Balance isn’t something we achieve — it’s something we practice, one meltdown, one boundary, one cup of coffee at a time.

🧠 The Science of Small Pauses

Neuroscience calls it micro-recovery: tiny moments that reset your nervous system.

When we take even 60 seconds to slow down — unclench the jaw, take a deep breath, step outside — our brain gets the message:

“We’re safe. We can rest.”

It’s the difference between surviving your day and living it.

So next time your toddler is in full-blown chaos mode, try this:

1. Breathe in for 4 seconds.

2. Hold for 2.

3. Exhale for 6. Repeat twice. (Then grab chocolate. That’s the unofficial step four.)

💛 What Balance Looks Like in My House

In our home, balance doesn’t mean quiet — it means connection.

It’s me cooking dinner while the kids build a “fort” out of cushions and sheets.

It’s family walks after work, not to tire them out, but to clear my head.

It’s setting my laptop aside at 7 p.m. — even when I could “just finish one more thing.”

Because I’ve learned: when I choose presence over productivity, the house doesn’t fall apart. My mind just finally gets to rest.

“You can’t pour from an empty cup. But you can refill it while they’re watching Bluey.”

— The Measured Life

🪞Your Challenge This Week

Find one moment each day to come back to yourself.

It doesn’t have to be big — it just has to be yours.

✨ Step outside for one deep breath.

✨ Stretch for thirty seconds before bed.

✨ Make your morning coffee a ritual, not a race.

Those little moments add up. They turn chaos into rhythm — and rhythm into peace.

🪴 From My Measured Favorites

A few things that helped me get by this week (and might help you, too):

🧸 Fisher-Price Learning Toy Linkimals — this is basically the toddler version of a best friend — it lights up, sings, dances, and keeps little ones entertained long enough for you to finish washing the dishes. Bonus: this toy is durable; we’ve had ours over 6 years and survived three toddlers.

☕ The Ember Mug — because cold coffee isn’t a personality trait.

🕯️ Earnest Living Waterless Diffuser — portable calm for rooms that need a reset (read: every room). I also love my Pura Plus Diffuser for ease of use with the refills. My favorite scent combo is lavender and cedarwood for ambiance and relaxation. 

📚 “How to Keep House While Drowning” by KC Davis — a must-read for any parent balancing work, kids, and expectations.

(Some links are affiliate — because this website runs on caffeine, honesty, and transparency.)

💌 Final Thought

Balance isn’t built on perfection.

It’s built on grace, boundaries, and the quiet reminder that you’re doing enough.

Even when the dishes aren’t done.

Even when your to-do list is a joke.

Even when your toddler is using a banana as a sword.

You are the steady rhythm beneath the noise.

That’s what balance really sounds like.

— Shyla 💛

Founder of The Measured Life

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🩵 Affiliate Disclaimer

The Measured Life participates in affiliate programs, which means I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. I only share products I personally use and genuinely love. Think of it as buying me a coffee… or let’s be honest, magnesium tablets.