Sunday, April 4, 2010

How to be a super mom?

If you’re a busy, busy, busy mom, who never has any time for anything and especially for yourself, if you take care of one or two or may be even 3 children all by yourself all day long with little or no help, if you do most of the grocery shopping and housework by yourself and you still find the time and the energy to read this, the chances are you're a super mom and you don’t even know it! Surprised by this revelation? Still a little unsure? Here is your guide on becoming a confident, empowered, independent SUPER MOM.


First and most important : always take care of yourself. SLEEP is one of the most basic human needs. If you barely get any sleep, then don’t expect wonders. It’d be hard for you to get organized and focus on your daily tasks. And taking care of your child(ren) could become quite challenging. My best advise is: always sleep when the baby sleeps, don’t worry about any house work and don’t feel any guilt about not doing it. And if that’s not enough, then ask for help. If you could afford it, hire a babysitter, who would stroll/take out your child(ren) for 2 hours every afternoon. It would make a tremendous difference. If you can’t afford a babysitter may be a family member could help? Don’t be ashamed to admit in front of your family that you need help. Asking for help is part of being a super mom. Super mom is not the overly tired and frustrated mom, who constantly struggles to do everything by herself. A supper mom is a confident, well-rested and happy mom, who takes care of 2 people: the baby and herself! And that’s not easy!

So if you find enough time to sleep, make sure that you eat as well and don’t worry about some 40-50 pounds you gained during your pregnancy. Most women gain it anyway. Once your child grows up and becomes more independent you’ll have all the time in the world to diet and exercise. Right now try to find some guilt free happiness in a chocolate bar or a crispy doughnut. Parenting is stressful! You certainly deserve a little reward!


Second and very, very important : Now that you have found enough time to sleep and eat, try to find some extra time to go get your nails done. Spoil yourself every once in awhile and don’t forget that a super mom always does something little for herself. She looks good and others often look at her and wonder how does she find the time to do that and that be a full time mommy? If you don’t have the means, find the time to do your nails at home.


Third and no less important than the second: Be a full time mommy and a full time wife. Yes, your husband needs some love and attention too. You might be exhausted when the kids finally go to bed, but try to find the time to talk to him and spend some time with him. Try to plan ahead and leave the kids with a babysitter or a family member and go out for a dinner or romantic walk in the near by park or ideally on the beach if you have any around you. If you’re not comfortable with leaving your kids with anyone go to a drive thru theater. After you drive for a while the little ones will fall asleep in the back and you and your husband will actually enjoy a movie without anyone screaming and crying in the back!


Fourth: Make a schedule and stick to it. First, think how much time do you need to play with your children and how much time do you need to clean up the house so it looks half way decent (don‘t even try to make it perfect, because you‘ll only stress yourself out). I usually do the housework while my kids sleep and sit on the computer while they watch cartoons. I play with them a lot when we are all outside, so they can get all the attention they need and when we’re at home they don’t need to be around me so much and I can do things around the house and even enjoy some “ME” time. Once I figured out how much time I need for every activity I made a schedule:


MORNING :

8-9 am wake up time -- kids watch cartoons, I drink coffee and check e-mails, read the news and play Farmville ;)

9-10 am breakfast, dress up, jump in the shower, load everybody in the car

10 am -1 pm we’re at the park, at the beach or at the mall, the toddler plays, the baby naps



AFTERNOON :

1.00 pm everybody has lunch

1.30 pm the toddler goes to sleep, the baby plays by herself, I do housework.

3.30 pm the toddler is up! SNACK TIME, cartoons time, some more time for me.

4.00-7.00 pm we all go out again, baby falls asleep in the car, naps for 1 hour, me and the toddler play



EVENING :

7.00 pm daddy is home! Daddy plays with the kids, mommy makes dinner. We all eat, then play.

8.30 pm bath time!

9.00-10.00 pm mommy and daddy try to put the kids to sleep, the kids fight back, mommy and daddy win eventually.



Fifth: Surround yourself with nice, wonderful people, who always support you, who are ready to help with the kids if needed and who help you feel good about yourself and everything you do. Make sure that your husband and family members understand how hard your job is and appreciate everything you do. It’s important for you to demand respect and appreciation. If you feel like someone is underestimating your hard work, let them try to do it while you enjoy a nice book at the park in peace! If you’re offended by anyone’s remarks, talk about it and let them know how you feel. Parenting is stressful enough, don’t let anyone else add an additional stress in your life.


Sixth: Don’t forget to have fun! Yes, parenting could be stressful, but it could also be funny. Splash yourself and your kids with water on a hot summer day, enjoy a bike ride at the near park, chalk paint the sidewalk in front of your house or enjoy a rollercoaster ride at an amazing park. Create wonderful memories and enjoy every precious moment of the magic, called motherhood.



A super mom is a happy, confident and relaxed mom!

7 comments:

  1. This is great! I like the part about getting your nails done and taking care of yourself. I'm sure our husbands appreciate this as well. And I agree about asking for help. The days that my mom comes over are always the best. Not just because I love her company, but also because so much more gets done around here!

    Thanks for including your schedule, it's so interesting to see how other moms "do it all."

    I am your newest follower!

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  2. All good suggestions. Thanks for the tips. SITS sent me by, and I'm glad they did!

    It's Five O'Clock Somewhere, Isn't It?

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  3. I love your blog, it's adorable! Thanks for stopping by on my special SITS day! I'm a follower of your awesome blog now as well! Have a wonderful day! :)

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  4. Super sweet blog. I'm visiting from SITS tonight. I hope you'll come by and visit me. http://myhomespunthreads.blogspot.com/

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  5. What great tips! Maybe I can be a super mom after all!

    Thank you so much for the wonderful comment on my blog. I had a rough day, and your encouraging words are just what I needed.

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  6. Love your blog. We are now your follower
    Visiting from "All About Toys"
    http://bluepixo.blogspot.com

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  7. Those are really wonderful tips for new moms! Thanks for sharing such great information. I'm stopping by from SITS Sunday to say HI!

    Anna

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