In Honor of Mother's Day: 10 Tips for Moms

This picture was taken the month after my daughter finally came home from the NICU in June 2010! 

(And thankfully, she's no longer on oxygen!)

When our daughter finally came home from the NICU after 3 long months, I was both excited & nervous at the same time. I have always known that I was meant to be a mother. So I didn't expect to be so worried about how I'd do. But I was. Knowing that this tiny, innocent being depended solely on me (and my husband) for food & love & shelter & protection...well, it's overwhelming. 

But thankfully, along the way, many wonderful mothers I know have given me their most important motherhood survival tips, which I have happily adopted!  

Here are 10 tips for Moms I have found helpful:

• Lose the "Mommy guilt"...in order to be a good Mom, you have to take care of yourself, too!
• Take 1 day & try NOT TO MULTITASK. Do just one thing at a time. It may be hard to get used to, since moms naturally excel at this, but taking a break from juggling everything at once feels great!
• Learn to accept the fact that your house will not be clean all the time..try not to stress about cleaning up the toys after every hour of play so you can focus on other things that are more important than housework.
• Close your eyes whenever you can. Sleep is the cure for all mothers of young children, so don't stay up late trying to finish all of the housework.  I promise, it will still be there in the morning!
• Clutter=Chaos. Go through your children's toys at least once a month & either donate or sell the ones you feel are no longer needed/wanted. Do the same with their clothes (and yours!). For me, a clutter free home is more relaxing!
• Do more of your shopping online...you'll save time & gas & have more time to hang out with your little ones!
• Clean the bathroom while the kids are in the  tub (if they are old enough to play on their own for a bit).  Talk about making the most of your time!
• Ask for help and don't feel guilty about it! And to make the most of your backup, be very specific about what you need, want or expect. It will make it easier on you in the end.
• While you clean up after dinner, go ahead & set up your coffee pot for the next morning. If your pot has a timer, set it so that you can wake to a fresh pot and avoid the cost of getting coffee on the run!
• Consider using Google Calendar to schedule all of the family's activities. You can access it from anywhere and both you & your husband can make changes, without having to remember to remind the other. Then just  print a copy each Sunday for the upcoming week and post it in the kitchen. 

I hope all of the moms had a wonderful Mother's Day today! I had a wonderful day of relaxing & hanging out with my family...I love being a Mommy!