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Sometimes, being a mom can make you so dang tired! By tired, I”m not just meaning physical exhaustion, but mentally, emotionally, spiritually, you name it. You ask just about any mom you meet how they feel, and I guarantee you they will say, “I’m tired!”
Being a mom is such a self sacrificing job, and often when we share the realities of being a mom, we’re met with gaslighting comments. Have you ever had someone say to you, “well, you signed up to be a mom, being tired is just part of the job!” Or perhaps my favorite is, “you just wait, you’ll be more tired when they’re (insert age and stage of kids here).” It seems like no matter how valid our exhaustion in, many people don’t seem to get that moms just want to be heard and validated in the midst of it.
We can all use some encouragement along the way in our parenting journey. When the nights are long and the coffee doesn’t feel strong enough, sometimes we just need a word of encouragement, truth, or just a good laugh. These quotes are just for those moments!
Feel free to share, copy, and write down whatever seems to speak to you at the moment. Share them with a friend, or simply keep it for yourself.
If you’re a tired mom, or you know a tired mom, this is for you!
Regardless of whether you’re a single mom, new mom, a working mom, a stay at home mom, super mom, or just best friends with a mom, everyone needs encouragement for all the hard work they do.
100 Quotes For Every Tired Mom
1. “24/7—once you sign on to be a mother, that’s the only shift they offer.” – Jodi Picoult
2. “Don’t tell a mother she looks tired; she already knows that. Tell her she’s doing a great job; she may not know that.” – Stephanie Peltier
3. “This mom is tired. This mom is stressed. This mom is trying her best. And you can guarantee this mom isn’t going to give up.” – Anonymous
4. “I know I should go to bed. My body craves rest, but I find myself awake much later than everyone else in my house. Why? Because I’m a mother, and this is my only time of solitude.” – Anonymous
5. “Mama, it is okay to lower your expectations about what you can accomplish in a day. Some days, it will take everything you’ve got to keep your baby safe, warm, fed, and loved. And that is more than enough.” – Anonymous
6. “You were somebody before you became a mom, and that somebody matters too!” – Anonymous
7. “Being a mom has made me so tired. And so happy.” – Tina Fey
8. It’s okay to have strengths and weaknesses as a mama. Some mamas play games, others listen well, some cook with love, and others are great encouragers. We don’t have to be everything, every day to our kids. We just need to show up and love them hard.” – Anonymous
9. “Take heart, tired momma. You will make it through these exhausting days. And you will be stronger for them. You are a good mother. You only need to look into the eyes of your children and believe it.” – Anonymous
10. “Becoming a mother doesn’t change you, it makes you realize the little people you created deserve the very best of you.” – Anonymous
11. “Good moms have sticky floors, messy kitchens, laundry piles, and happy kids.” – Anonymous
12. “Parenting is hard—especially when you’re doing it right.” – Anonymous
13. “My home is filled with toys, has fingerprints on everything, and is never quiet. My hair is usually a mess and I am always tired, but there is always love and laughter. In 20 years, my kids won’t remember the house or my hair, but they will remember the quality time we spent together and the love they felt.” – Anonymous
14. “You can be completely overwhelmed by a season of motherhood and still be completely grateful to be a mother.” – Anonymous
15. “You can still be a mess and a good mom. You are allowed to be both.” – Anonymous
16. “Breathe darling, this is just a chapter. It’s not your whole story.” – S.C Lourie
17. “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” – Helen Keller
18. “Life is tough, my darling, but so are you.” – Stephanie Bennett-Henry
19. “A mom is the glue that holds everything together, even when she feels she may fall apart.” – Anonymous
20. “You’re always going to wonder if you’re doing things wrong, but that’s what it means to be a mom—to care so much about someone else that you just want to be as perfect as possible.” – Naya Rivera
21. “Families don’t always realize that mother is exhausted, because the mother is always exhausted. Exhausted is what looks normal.” – Mary Blakely
22. “To all the mamas who are feeling lonely, stressed, overwhelmed, exhausted, and continue to pull through each day for the sake of their children, never doubt that you are a good mom.” – Anonymous
23. “Being a mom is confusing. You’re really tired, like exhausted and when your kid finally goes to bed you know you should get some sleep too, but you also haven’t had any alone time all day, so you stay up instead, but then you’re still tired in the morning and regret not getting more sleep so you think about sleep all day, but then nighttime rolls around and you start the process all over again.” – Amanda Dayton
24. “The fastest way to break the cycle of perfectionism and become a fearless mother is to give up the idea of doing it perfectly—indeed to embrace uncertainty and imperfection.” —Arianna Huffington
25. “No matter how tired you are, no matter how physically exhausting this work may be, it’s beautiful to bring a smile into someone’s life, to care for someone in need. What greater joy can there be?” – Mother Teresa
Funny Quotes For Tired Moms
26. “There should be an energy drink named 6 am toddler.” – Unknown
27. “Sleep is like the unicorn – it is rumored to exist, but I doubt I will see any.” – Dr. Seuss
28. “My husband and I share the load: I breastfeed because he can’t… he sleeps because I can’t.” – Unknown
29.“I finally got 8 hours of sleep. It took me four days, but whatever.” – Anonymous
30. “Friend: Are you getting enough sleep? Me: Sometimes when I sneeze, my eyes close.” – Anonymous
31. “Parenting is accepting that 9am is no longer the morning, it’s actually mid afternoon ” @Baethelabel on Instagram
32. “She believed she could but then her baby woke up 5 times during the night” – Anonymos
33. “May your coffee be stronger than your toddler” – Anonymous
34. “Them: you look tired. Me: I have kids. I am pretty sure this is just my face now.” – Anonymous
35. “There’s no tired like Mom tired.” – Anonymous
36. “Mombie:(noun) A sleep deprived mother who feeds on caffeine. Can usually be identified by the dark circles under her eyes, forgetfulness, fatigue, moodiness, confusion, and moments of insanity. Responds to conversation in short grunts and can frequently be found wandering aimlessly because she forgot what she was doing.” -Anonymous
Inspirational Tired Mom Quotes
37. “I got nothing done all day” Nope. You are growing, nurturing and teaching a little human 24 hours day” – Unknown
38. “The strength of a mother is second to none. Even when she is in times of stress, when she is fighting her own demons, when she is beyond exhausted both mentally and physically; nothing will stop her from finding the strength she needs to do for her children what she needs to get done.” – Unknown“
39. “A Real Mom: Emotional, yet the rock. Tired, but keeps going. Worried, but full of hope. Impatient, yet patient. Overwhelmed, but never quits. Amazing, even though doubted. Wonderful, even in the chaos. Life changer, every single day.” – Rachel Martin
40. “Even a good mom has bad days, great days, normal days, overwhelming days, perfect days, trying days, supermom days, just being-a-mom days, a whole lot of love and real and crazy motherhood days.” – Rachel Martin
41. “Mom – One who sacrifices her body, sleep, social life, spending money, eating hot meals, peeing alone, patience, memory, energy, and sanity for love.” – Unknown
42. “You are mentally strong, but you are also tired… and that is OK.” – Unknown
43. “I promise…you will sleep again.” – Anonymous
44. “I am grateful for:
- Early wakeups = children to love
- House to clean = safe place to live
- Laundry to do = clothes to wear
- Dirty dishes = food to eat
- Crumbs under the table = family meals
- Grocery shopping to do = money to use
- Toilets to clean = indoor plumbing
- Lots of noise = kids having fun
- Endless questions = a child who is learning
- Getting into bed tired and sore = I’m still alive” – Chelsea Lee Smith
45. “All mothers are working mothers.” – Anonymous
46. “We have a secret in our culture, and it’s not that birth is painful. It’s that women are strong.” – Laura Stavoe Harm
47. “Don’t let a bad day make you feel like you have a bad life.” -Anonymous
48. “I know you’re sad, so I won’t tell you to have a good day. Instead, I advise you to simple have a day. Stay alive, feed yourself well, wear comfortable clothes and don’t give up on yourself just yet. It will get better. Until then, have a day.” – Anonymous
49. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
50. “Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.” – Theodore Roosevelt
51. “Perhaps it takes courage to raise children.”– John Steinbeck
52. “Mother: that was the bank where we deposited all our hurts and worries.” – T. DeWitt Talmage
53. “The kids who need the most love will ask for it in the most unloving of ways.” – Anonymous
54. “Let’s prove to ourselves that the judgement of others does not define us, that we are strong, brave, capable women who can do whatever the heck we set our minds to! Let us also remind each other when we forget.” –Julie Maida
55. “Many people talk about having kids like it’s a bad thing. You want to know what true love is? Have some kids. They don’t care how much money you have, what car you drive, or how you look. They just truly love you for you. The unconditional love between you and your children is priceless.” – Anonymous
56. “To be a good parent, you need to take care of yourself so that you can have the physical and emotional energy to take care of your family.” – Michell Obama
57. “Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.” –Bréne Brown
58. “The parenting road gets bumpy sometimes. That doesn’t mean you are off course.” – Anonymous
59. “Self-care is giving the world the best of you instead of what’s left of you.” – Katie Reed
60. “If every mother…could wrap her mind around her true value as a woman and mother, her life would never be the same. We would wake up every morning excited for the day rather than feeling as though we’d been hit by a truck during the night. We would talk differently to our kids, fret less about our husbands’ annoying habits, and speak with greater tenderness and clarity. We would find more contentment in our relationships, let mean remarks roll off our backs, and leave work feeling confident in the job we performed.” – Meg Meeker
61. “Motherhood is a million little moments that God weaves together with grace, redemption, laughter, tears and most of all love.” – Lysa Terkheurst
62. “In a child’s eyes, a mother is a goddess. She can be glorious or terrible, benevolent or filled with wrath, but she commands love either way. I am convinced that this is the greatest power in the universe.”― N.K. Jemisin
63. “Taking care of myself doesn’t mean ‘me first.’ It means ‘me, too.'” — L.R. Knost
64. “No language can express the power and beauty and heroism of a mother’s love.” —Edwin Chapin
65. “The most important work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home.” -Harold B. Lee
Totally Relatable Quotes For Every Exhausted Mom
66. “I always say if you aren’t yelling at your kids, you’re not spending enough time with them.” – Reese Witherspoon
67. “Some days, the only way to stay sane is to go a little crazy.” – Anonymous
68. “Twelve years later the memories of those nights, of that sleep deprivation, still make me rock back and forth a little bit. You want to torture someone? Hand them an adorable baby they love who doesn’t sleep.” – Shonda Rhimes
69. “Behind every great child is a mom who’s pretty sure she’s screwing it all up.” – Anonymous
70. “I don’t want to sleep like a baby. I want to sleep like my husband.” – Anonymous
71. “Mothering is a verb. It’s a job.” – Anonymous
72. “All the moms on Instagram are making their own baby food and doing cute crafts and I’m over here proud that I took a shower and kept the kids alive” – Anonymous
73. “Sleep at this point is just a concept, something I’m looking forward to investigating in the future.” – Amy Poehler
74. “Moms – the only people who know the true meaning of 24/7” – Anonymous
75. “A mother need only step into the shower to be instantly reassured she is indispensable to every member of her family.” – Lynne Williams
76. “Motherhood is the greatest thing and the hardest thing.” – Ricki Lake
77. “Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.” —Marion C. Garretty
78. “The struggle is part of the story.” – Unknown
79. “This struggle is real. The juggle is real. That’s why everyone should hire working mothers. They are put in crazy situations all the time and are forced to problem-solve. They are some of my most resourceful employees.” – Sara Blakely
80. “The tiredness isn’t from sleep deprivation, it’s from being up all night worrying that my children are going to turn out exactly like me.” – Unknown
81. “Tiredness is just something that is appearing; it’s not who you are.” – Nirmala
82. “There should be a special place in heaven for mothers who wake up tired every day and do it anyway.” – Unknown
83. “It’s a trade-off, really, you either choose to sleep, or you choose alone time. I choose alone time, hands down, nearly every night. During these late hours, our home is perfectly still. I can hear the dog breathing at my feet, the creaks and groans of the house, and the hum of the refrigerator. This is my time, and I cherish every moment of it. There are no children pulling at the hem of my shirt, asking for yet another snack. No noise, no chaos, just me and my thoughts.” – Jorrie Varney
84. “The love of a mother is never exhausted. It never changes – it never tires – it endures through all; in good repute, in bad repute. In the face of the world’s condemnation, a mother’s love still lives on.” -Washington Irving
85. “I think every working mom probably feels the same thing: You go through big chunks of time where you’re just thinking, ‘This is impossible – oh, this is impossible.’ And then you just keep going and keep going, and you sort of do the impossible.” – Tina Fey
86. “Good moms have homes that are clean enough to be healthy and messy enough to be happy.” – Anonymous
87. “A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s.” —Princess Diana
88. “The job description of mother is clearly in need of revision. As it stands, the shifts are 24 hours, for a period of approximately 1,825 consecutive days. The benefits are sorely in need of amendment: no vacations, no sick leave, no lunch hours, no breaks. Moreover, it is the only unpaid position I know of that can result in arrest if you fail to show up for work” – Mary Blakely
89. “It’s not difficult to take care of a child- it’s difficult to do anything else while taking care of a child” – Julianne Moore
90. “You cannot do everything at once, so find people you trust to help you. And don’t be afraid to say no.” – Jane Seymour
91. “Why don’t kids understand that their nap is not for them but for us?” – Alyson Hannigan
92. “Coffee. Because motherhood is exhausting. And cocaine is bad for you” – @wittyotter on Instagram
My Favorite Tired Mom Quotes
93. “Children are not a distraction from more important work, they are the most important work” ~C.S. Lewis
94. “There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one” ~Jill Churchill
95. “Bad moments don’t make bad moms.” – Lysa Terkeurst
96. “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Ann Lamont
97. “Give me patience when little hands tug at me with ceaseless, small demands. Give me gentle words and smiling eyes, to keep my lips from hasty, sharp replies. Let not fatigue, confusion or noise obscure my vision of life’s fleeting joys, so when in years to come my house is still, beautiful memories its rooms may fill.” – Anonymous
98. “To all mothers in every circumstance, including those who struggle, I say, ‘Be peaceful. Believe in God and yourself. You are doing better than you think you are.’” – Jeffrey R. Holland
99. “You can’t quit mom. You’re simply too important. To others, your work doesn’t look like much and I know it often doesn’t feel like much, but if you left off sweeping your kitchen and nursing bruises and staging impromptu tea parties and the thousand other things you do to enrich the lives of your children, the world would fall apart. So carry on, dear mother. Let those who have eyes to see you look on and marvel, for in you we see the love of God.” – Sean Allen
100. “To that one soul reading this: I know you’re tired, you’re fed up, you’re close to breaking, but there’s strength within you. Even when you feel weak, keep fighting.” – Unknown
Final Thoughts
Motherhood is the toughest job out there. Of course, there’s the physical exhaustion that comes with birthing a human and caring for them in the midst. Then when we finally start sleeping, we deal with mental and emotional exhaustion. In my opinion, all of the various stages of motherhood are exhausting in their own ways.
Regardless of the kind of exhaustion you may be feeling, it’s my hope some of these quotes can serve as inspiration, humor, and encouragement. If one or more of these has spoken to you, I encourage you to write it down. Hang it up somewhere you can see it, and keep it at the forefront of your mind. Perhaps one of these quotes can be exactly what you need when times are hard.
Need some more help overcoming the overwhelm of motherhood? Here’s some more articles by The Overcoming Mom just for you:
