Empowerment and Efficiency: As a Stay-at-Home Mom
With September already coming to an end and the kids finally back into the swing of school, I thought it might be time to revisit what it is to be a stay-at-home mom and how I plan to tackle the year ahead. Let’s just start by saying the role of a stay-at-home mom is not for the faint of heart and in most cases just as demanding as a 9-5 job. I mean who am I kidding. I can sit here and say that kids will appreciate a four course gourmet lunch this year instead of school lunch with a homemade baguette shaped like a heart and how they’ll love their name personalized on everything they own in color coded order and how it’ll help them get organized this year but they don’t give a sh*t —they’re kids.
All the hard work you put into making everything so “Pinterest” perfect won’t get you an award. You won’t get a special holiday —hell you might, just might, get a thank you. So the ultimate question is why do we do this to ourselves? I’m thinking we scratch everything and make our own rules to what actually works. Being a stay-at-home mom although it’s by far the hardest job I’ve ever done, it’s still filled with so much love that we should feel this love and sense of purpose all day not just accept the small feats.
Looking good and feeling good go hand in hand and amidst the chaos of managing a household and caring for children, the idea of a "uniform" might seem inconsequential. However, embracing a uniform can significantly impact daily life in more ways than one. Here are 3 things to help find empowerment in being a stay-at-home mom.
1. Streamlined Decision-Making
Choosing a uniform—a go-to outfit or a specific style—reduces the amount of frustration when something isn’t working right, especially when we don’t have alot of time to begin with. When our mornings are not consumed by pondering over what to wear, you save valuable time and mental energy. (We need as much of this as possible when we’re already dealing with the kids) Having a predetermined outfit simplifies the process, allowing you to focus on more critical tasks. (I.e repacking the diaper bag, making doctor’s appointments and reminding yourself to sign them up for soccer.) Focus on outfits that make you feel good. If it’s a cool jacket, your favorite pair of leggings or most comfy/stylish shoes go with it, you’ll feel more empowered to conquer the day.
2. Enhanced Productivity
As of late I’ve found that having a physical calendar with everything written for the day helps reduce the amount of time and stress that comes with the feeling of waisted time. We all fall in the traps of MOM BRAIN being pulled into different directions at once so we’re either too tired or the “why do I feel like I’m missing something” phrase seem to be an everyday occurrence. Taking notes throughout the week and plugging them into a calendar has increased my efficiency by helping me to stay on task and keeping things in order so I’m less forgetful and more productive especially with prepping for the big days when there’s a lot to do. Let me stress by saying, sure you can have a calendar in your phone but let’s face it our phones are extremely distracting with endless notifications. Remember we want to stay ON TASK.
3. Modeling Habits for Children
This one is extremely important and also very sensitive. Continuously practicing mindfulness helps us to reduce the amount of anxiety we experience with feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things that constantly come our way. Now I’m not saying that our day isn’t at all stressful but practicing mindfulness daily allows us to accept the changes as they come. We adopt MORE patience, which in turn, allow us to make clear decisions. We are able to respond with a calmer approach ie. that bowl of cereal that they spilled during breakfast won’t seem as much of a big deal the more we practice. Think cool and collected mom. This how I’m approaching this school year so that I can show up as the best mom every time.
In the end, choosing a style that works for me so that it helps me “the BOSS“ is what I’m going with. Learning how to make things easier for myself so that I can run the household successfully is what’s important to make sure things will run smoothly and successfully. We all have different ways of doing things but remembering to stick with these ideas in mind can help streamline decision-making and boosts efficiency. Embracing a uniform so to speak is not about sacrificing personal style but about harnessing the empowerment and practicality it offers in managing the beautiful chaos of a being a mom.