There was a season when I thought what I needed most as a mother was space...
Space from the noise.
Space from the crying.
Space from the toddler saying “NO” for what felt like the 47th time that day.
Space from the baby who needed to nurse, be held, rocked, fed, changed, and comforted—sometimes all within the same hour.
I thought if I could just get away for a little while, I would feel like myself again.
And sometimes, yes, I needed a break. I needed someone to hold the baby so I could shower. I needed my husband to take over bedtime. I needed to step outside, take a breath, drink some water, and let my nervous system settle.
But eventually, I realized something deeper.
I didn’t necessarily need more space from my children. I needed to feel more welcome in my motherhood.
When Motherhood Starts Feeling Like Something You Need to Escape
When you’re in the thick of toddlerhood and babyhood, it can be incredibly easy to believe that your children are the reason you’re overwhelmed.
The constant crying.
The tantrums.
The teething.
The sleepless nights.
The endless snacks.
The toys everywhere.
The “NO!”
The “MOM!”
The “MOM!” again five seconds later.
And when you’re already exhausted, even something as normal as a baby going through a difficult teething phase can feel like the final straw.
You start thinking, I just need a break.
And mama, sometimes you really do.
But I learned that taking a moment to regulate myself was different from building a life around escaping motherhood.
I didn’t want to become someone who was always counting down until bedtime, always waiting for someone else to take the kids, or always feeling like I could finally breathe once I was away from them.
I wanted to learn how to breathe while I was still in the room.
Your Toddler’s Defiance Doesn’t Mean You’ve Failed
This was one of the hardest lessons for me.
You can be consistent.
You can be loving.
You can set boundaries.
You can teach your child the same thing over and over again.
And your toddler can still look directly at you and scream:
“NO!”
That doesn’t mean you’re a bad mom.
It doesn’t mean you’ve failed your son or daughter.
It doesn’t mean all of your intentional parenting has been wasted.
They’re little.
Their brains are still developing. Their emotions are enormous. Their ability to regulate themselves is still being built.
And sometimes, they’re just having a really hard day.
So are you.
Both things can be true.
And Then There’s the Baby Who Is Teething
Baby teething can add an entirely different layer of exhaustion to motherhood.
When your baby is uncomfortable, they’re not exactly interested in giving you a peaceful afternoon to yourself.
They’re chewing on everything.
Their hands are constantly in their mouth.
They’re drooling.
They’re fussy.
They’re waking more often.
And suddenly you’re searching for things like:
“What is the best natural teething toy for babies?”
“What can I give my teething baby to chew on?”
“What is a non-toxic teething toy?”
“What are safe teethers for my baby?”
I understand that search because I was that mother too.
I wanted something simple.
Something made from natural materials.
Something my baby could actually chew on—not another brightly colored plastic toy that would inevitably end up under the couch.
That’s part of why we created Buckaroo Chew, a natural leather teething chew toy designed for babies who need something satisfying to gnaw on during those long teething seasons.
Our goal was simple: create a teether inspired by the things our grandparents and great-grandparents might have reached for—natural materials, simple construction, and something made to actually be used.
A Natural Teething Toy for Babies Who Love to Chew
Buckaroo Chew is an all-natural leather teether for babies and young children who love to chew.
It’s made with vegetable-tanned leather and finished with natural ingredients, including chamomile-infused tallow and a small amount of organic beeswax.
For parents looking for a natural baby teether, non-toxic teething toy, or leather teether for babies, Buckaroo Chew was created with that desire for simplicity in mind.
Because sometimes the simplest things are the things babies love most.
A baby doesn’t need a complicated toy.
Sometimes they just need something they can hold, gnaw, and explore while their little teeth are making their way in.
But Here’s What Motherhood Taught Me
The teething toy wasn’t the answer to my exhaustion.
The toddler wasn’t the problem.
The baby wasn’t the problem.
I was simply a mother learning how to live inside a very demanding season of motherhood.
I learned that I can be overwhelmed without resenting my children.
I can need help without being a bad mother.
I can step away without needing to escape.
I can have a toddler who is completely losing it in the kitchen while my teething baby is crying in my arms—and still know that I’m doing okay.
I don’t have to solve motherhood for the next eighteen years.
I only have to live today.
So, Mama, Step Back When You Need To
Take the shower.
Drink the water.
Put the baby somewhere safe.
Let someone safe handle bedtime.
Go outside.
Take the breath.
Ask for help.
Regulate your body.
And then come back.
Not because you have to.
Not because you’re supposed to.
But because eventually, if you decide to have the courage to be all that you are meant to be, you will hear that quiet pull inside you again.
That’s my baby.
That’s my child.
This is my life.
And suddenly you’re not returning because motherhood is something you have to endure.
You’re returning because you belong here.
Because you love them.
Because you chose them.
Because even on the hardest days, there is something incredibly beautiful about being their mother.
And somewhere along the way, I stopped wishing for a motherhood I needed to constantly escape from.
I started learning how to feel at home inside it.
And honestly?
I love being their mom.
Even through the tantrums.
Even through the sleepless nights.
Even through the teething.
Even through the “NO!”
Especially through the ordinary, messy, beautiful parts that I once thought I needed to get away from.
Maybe that’s what mothers actually need.
Not a perfect motherhood.
Not children who never struggle.
Not a life without noise.
Just enough support, enough grace, and enough room to breathe—
so we can come back to the little people we love most.
One day at a time.
One hard moment at a time.
One tiny tooth at a time.
And when that teething baby reaches for their natural leather teether and settles into a satisfying little chew, sometimes you get to take that breath too.
And remember:
You’re not failing.
You’re raising them.
And you’re doing it one day at a time.