5 Tips for the Woman Who Does it All: MOM

Wake up. Make coffee. Wake up the kids. Drink coffee. Try again to wake up the kids. Make breakfast. Pack lunches. More coffee? Feed the pets. Get the kids to school. Go to work. More coffee? Make it home just in time to make dinner. Help with homework. Is it a weekend? Time for yard work and car washing! Wash dishes. Get the kids in bed. Oh no! Don’t forget the laundry. Shower. Back in school yourself? Time for your own homework! Sleep...? Repeat.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone! Sure, there are tons of hugs, kisses, playing, sports, music, and fun times in there also, but let’s face it: being a parent is the hardest job around (and most rewarding)! With the help of some brilliant women (and a lot of trial and error on my part), I have discovered some helpful tips that make the day just a little bit easier and slightly less overwhelming.

1. Pack the lunches (kids’, husband’s, your own) the night before. You will be amazed how much smoother a morning goes when you eliminate the last-minute scramble to pack lunches while you’re also doing 50 other morning necessities.
2. Make sure to keep staple food items and snacks on hand. Meltdowns have been known to happen at the drop of a dime when little ones find out that you’re out of their favorite snack bar and you don’t have the time to run to the store. And it’s always a good idea to have frozen items stocked up for those nights when your work meeting runs over and you realize too late that you forgot to turn the crockpot on when you left this morning.
3. Eat with your family at the table every chance you get. It’s definitely not always an option, but it gives you an opportunity to connect with the people you love most and also ensures that you are providing yourself with the same nutrition that you always make sure your family gets. This is also a really good time to bring attention to how hard you worked on the meal and maybe get some sympathy help with the dishes...
4. Try to set aside 2 hours per week to allow for meal prep. You can get the whole family involved with this, and you will be amazed how much easier cooking is during the week when the veggies are already cut, the pancakes have been pre-made and frozen (or at least the batter has been made), the chicken has been marinated, and some lunch items have been pre-portioned.
5. P.A.U.S.E. & BREATHE! I know, it sounds so simple, but sometimes we’re so busy and overwhelmed that we don’t realize that we’re not breathing deeply. Take a few minutes to go into a room by yourself (yes, hiding in the closet is absolutely acceptable) and mindfully inhale and exhale very slowly through your nose with your lips sealed. Try to make the exhalation one second longer than the inhalation. That’s right: yoga breathing. Feel the stress floating away with each exhalation. The P.A.U.S.E. is a mindfulness technique that we encourage using with meals and snacks and we have a free download here for you: The Mindful Pause card.

So go ahead, give yourself a gift and try these out. Let us know what you think! And please, if you have any of your own "Mom Tips," please share them in the blog response field. After all, we’re all in this together!