My friend Molly is a real multitasker. That’s probably because she became a mom in her early twenties. Now she raises a 13-year-old and a 1-year-old. She always has a stiff schedule that barely any business woman could handle. Walking around with her baby boy Johny, she can discuss her business school assignments over the phone, then switch to family business matters with her husband, then buy stuff and then drive home to cook dinner, after which she would do even more. Her day starts early in the morning and it looks like it never ends. Meanwhile, she is the nicest friend, charming and positive young woman. So, I was wondering how she manages to do it all and to stay a wonderful mom. It’s all in details. Molly shared some tips with me on how to keep up with everything and make your motherhood a really exciting journey. Here are her tips.
Schedule it!
Do you constantly feel that a day is too short to handle everything? Maybe you are facing a time management problem. Don’t worry, you don’t have to work like a busy bee without being able to sit down and catch your breath. First, relax and think what affairs should be handled. Note them all. Looks like too much work to do? Now you need to prioritize your tasks. Which ones should be done the sooner the better? Which can wait until the other day? Now make a list of today’s tasks and the tasks for the other days, if any. Make a beautiful scrapbook or buy a solid jotter with a leather cover. Here you will write down your schedules for the day ahead and some notes. You can also use some apps on your smartphone or tablet to make it handy. Oh, and don’t forget to schedule the rest, too!
Pin it and make it fun
Somewhere in a middle of a busy mom’s day you can get confused by so many mom’s duties. Free your brain: there’s a time for some visual charts! Buy a big nice cork board and hang it on a kitchen wall. Now you can pin lots of interesting notes there. A meal ration for your child, some interesting recipes, notes for your husband, inspirational quotes, wish pictures… anything that is important for you and you want to remember it later, not overloading your brain with information. You can also use a blackboard with a piece of chalk if it fits more to your kitchen design. Or maybe a whiteboard with colourful markers so that your child can draw on it.
Do it like YOU do it
Ok, let’s face it: there’s no same criteria for everyone that necessarily make you a good mother. A good mother in USA can be seen as a bad mother in Asia, for example. Only you know how to make it better for your child. So, do your own thing that you believe is right for you and certainly not harmful for your kids. If you think that inner peace is a must, go to yoga classes together. If you sure that you want to raise a champion, assign your little one to some sport section. Want to travel together or raise a cosmopolitan? Go to foreign language classes. Seeing a creative side? Start drawing or playing music. It’s your choice which world to build for your child. But don’t forget to listen and follow what he or she likes. The most important criterion is that it should be a beautiful and strong place to live for your baby.
Use gadgets
Sometimes we feel that the world moves so fast. Especially it is being moved forward by technology. There are so many gadgets created to make your life easier that it’s a crime not to use them for your own good. You can buy a vacuum cleaner that does its job by its own. Or a gadget that plays with your pet when you’re not at home. Ovens now have special modes to cook a perfect dish and turn off when it’s ready so you may not worry about a burnt chicken and go look after your baby. Smartphones, laptops and tablets have even more features. There are endless possibilities of managing your time: note, schedule, set timer to remind you anything you like. You can talk to people you love, see them, take pictures of the first steps and record video of the first words of your child. Find useful information on the internet, share tips and ideas with your friends, play music, watch cartoons, and stay tuned. The last thing Molly is obsessed about is monitoring apps. She enjoys knowing about her 13-year-old daughter’s online life so that she can prevent possible dangers. She checks her location, makes sure there are no suspicious calls or texts, and checks potentially dangerous apps including Viber, Snapchat, Kik, Messenger, etc. Don’t underestimate gadgets: it is so useful and fun.
Enjoy life!
Tough mom schedule can make you that rule-follower that children don’t especially like. The most important tip is to never make your child feel guilty for the fun he or she has! Because this is how sociopaths are being raised! Instead, remember yourself being that age. When you are an adult with a lot of duties in your head, what you need is to learn from your child how to enjoy life. Feel the full taste of life: draw simple pictures, play games, laugh, run, ape someone. Dream big. Give a lot of hugs and love.
Molly has always reminded me a child with her pure and gentle baby face. How she was even so brave to become a mom so early? Why didn’t she want to “live for yourself while young” as most of the people do? Looking at Molly I realized that most of the people are losing a lot. Being a mom precisely means living a really full life.