The mom that shows up to work happy as can be, clothes are not wrinkled, and her hair looks like she has an at home stylist... not to mention she has 3-4 children. How does she do it? I ask myself... and think, "I only have one kid."...... followed by a sigh. So I found a couple moms/friends/coworkers that I look at with such admiration. They agreed to do an interview with me, so we can all know... HOW DOES SHE DO IT?
*Working moms and stay at home moms live very different day-to-day lives and I'm sure there are perceptions and admiration each have for one another. I can only speak from the perspective if a working mom...
*Working moms and stay at home moms live very different day-to-day lives and I'm sure there are perceptions and admiration each have for one another. I can only speak from the perspective if a working mom...
Meet Gwyn and Jen:
Gwyn is a mom of 3, and Jen a mom of 4. They are both full time teachers and on-the-go moms. Their kids all have fantastic manners, very intelligent, and all around great kids. These two moms are always put together, and have an amazing positive attitude and energy about them. I look to them for advise, and aspire to be a mom like them. Here are some tips from my conversations with these mamas who do it all.
Gwyn is a mom of 3, and Jen a mom of 4. They are both full time teachers and on-the-go moms. Their kids all have fantastic manners, very intelligent, and all around great kids. These two moms are always put together, and have an amazing positive attitude and energy about them. I look to them for advise, and aspire to be a mom like them. Here are some tips from my conversations with these mamas who do it all.
Tip #1: Realize that it's OK to need help
- This help with day-to-day things can come from spousal support, and or another mom. SHARE tasks with someone, and learn to sometimes let things go.
- Jen and Gwyn often coordinate with other moms to help with activities after school, transportation, supervision etc. Spousal support comes in key when running the family household. They both have a laundry system wither their husbands to make sure it all gets done.
- If you are fortunate enough, a cleaning person to come in and do the bare minimum 1-2 times a month.
Tip #2: Wake up and get things done BEFORE the day starts
- Wake up TWO hours before leaving (yikes!)... Take care of getting yourself ready first, get the kids ready, and then take care of some sort of household task before leaving weather it's laundry, emptying the dishwasher, or vacuuming. Some days Jen will wake up an extra 30-45 minutes early to exercise... We all know the chances of things getting done at the end of the day are slim to none.
Tip #3: Allocate your time and multitask
- Find opportunities through the day to multitask. That might mean taking a run during your child's soccer practice or selecting certain days to go grocery shopping when it won't take away from family time on the weekends. There are times when it's OK to do something JUST FOR YOU.
- Gwyn did mention that she doesn't watch TV. Not because she doesn't like TV, but because she doesn't have time. It made me think about TV time. Food for thought... nothing productive gets done while watching TV, unless you are multitasking.
Tip #3 Gilt at work?
- When going back to work after having a baby can be an emotional roller coaster. For me, I felt guilty, and sad at first. Getting into a structured routine helped the most. It helped me focus on the tasks at hand, and I broke the day down into different parts with the end in mind knowing at the end of the day, I would see Cece soon. Another mom reminded me once that when the babies are very little (0-6 months) they sleep a lot of the day. That helped me deal with the feeling that I was missing "so much" during the day when really, Cece was napping.
#4 Let things go and laugh
- Acknowledge you are still a person, and do not feel guilty to do something for yourself. If what you are doing for yourself helps you accomplish everything you need to in a more positive way then do it! Maybe your me time is going for a run, getting your nails done, or blogging!
- To Keep things in perspective, "let things go and laugh when things don't always go as planned." That's what Jen and Gwyn both advised at the end of our conversation. There are days when it won't all get done, but there is no reason to be upset... maintain a positive attitude, and get after it when you can. Being upset will only have a negative effect on yourself and others. Why not laugh? With a look of reminiscence, Gwyn stated this, "Enjoy the moment and be appreciative for it because it goes fast"
#TBT Leaving for work and saying Bye to Cecelia.
Thank you to Gwyn and Jen for talking with me. It's wonderful hearing from other moms and how they do things at their house. I will be trying Tip #2... (waking up earlier) this week!
To all my teacher friends... have a great week back to school with the kiddo's!
Thank you to Gwyn and Jen for talking with me. It's wonderful hearing from other moms and how they do things at their house. I will be trying Tip #2... (waking up earlier) this week!
To all my teacher friends... have a great week back to school with the kiddo's!