The sigh.  A Working Moms Sigh. After making the last school or daycare drop off before breaking her neck to get to work on time.

The Sigh of a Working Mom – After the Last School Drop Off

I saw a mom let out a deep long sigh this morning as she stepped out of her son’s classroom. I could see her shoulders and her chest rose and then fell as she sighed.

I was dropping off my youngest daughter for preschool when I saw her.
I wanted to let her know I understood.
Oh, I know that sigh oh so well.

I smiled at her and wished her a great day.
She smiled back and said “thanks”. Looking at me a bit strange.
I wanted to give her a hug and tell her it will be okay. Just breathe.
And let her know I understood her plight.

Working Moms Mentally Switch Hats After Dropping Kids off to School

I could tell she had immediately mentally switched from the hustle of getting the kids ready and off to school to either preparing for work or planning the best route to get to work on time.

Oh, I know and remember that sigh very well.
It’s like you were holding your breath and running the entire morning and took a quick gasp of air before running again…

OUR MORNINGS CAN EITHER MAKE OR BREAK OUR DAYS

When my morning is a hot mess my entire day usually ends up a mess as well. It’s usually pretty hard to come back from especially when I’m late for work or my first meeting.

I begin to feel overwhelmed and wonder if and how I can do “this”.
Have a career and be a great mom.

Looking back now, and learning from my experiences, I realize…

WE HAVE MORE CONTROL THAN WE MAY REALIZE

Ask yourself the questions below and find Your Morning Rhythm.
Enjoy this season. It will only be a memory soon.
Make it a wonderful time to remember.
For YOU and your kids.

Decide, you will make the best of this time. And not make the challenges get the best of you.

Yes, I know it’s hectic, however, you can make great memories. They’re a lot of things we don’t have control of, however, we have control of how we react to the mayhem.

TAKE A STEP BACK AND THINK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT CHALLENGES YOU THE MOST

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS – and take control of your mornings.

• How can you make your morning schedule/routine easier for YOU and your kids?
• Can you ask for help?
• What can you hire someone to help you with?
• What’s most important for You to hold on to?
• What can you let go?

When I saw that mom step out of the classroom and let out that sigh of relief. I was taken back to my days of hustling across Northern Virginia and D.C. as a working mom with two young kids and a demanding career.

Oh, how I remember that sigh. The sigh of, OH, I DID IT! I MADE IT, LORD JESUS! I DID IT!!!

The sigh of relief when “I got both kids dropped off with enough time to get to work on time”.

TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR MORNING 
How I make my mornings easier for me and my kids.

I vividly remember how different my mornings changed after we had our second daughter.

• I had to factor in time for all my newborn baby would need along with my preschooler.
• Feed and dress both kids.
• Pack their bags.
• Get myself ready for work.
• Including my breast pump and all its’ parts and what I needed to pump and store milk while at work.
• And I wanted to look decent.
• Plus prepare for my workday.
  

  Two mantras I used at work and incorporated in my personal life are:

1. Work Smarter not Harder.
2. And, Plan.
   Thinking and implementing these two mantras helped me survive.
   Looking for ways to do things that were less stressful and planning ahead to get a jumpstart.

The days when I didn’t prep the night before or the baby woke up before my oldest daughter. I would get frazzled – because my routine was thrown off and my plan was derailed.
Knowing this about myself, I factor in a few minutes of extra time just in case… the unexpected happened.

The first question to reflect on to help you take control of your mornings.
HOW CAN YOU MAKE YOUR MORNINGS EASIER FOR YOU AND YOUR KIDS?

My daughters are now seven and four years old. Their needs are very different than when I became a mother of two children, a newborn and three-year-old.

With each new stage and season, I’m just trying to learn what works for us to make life easier. I must re-evaluate and make a new plan each time.

You can read about how I managed last summer when my girls were on summer break. I had to find a way to keep my “Me Time”.

1. I set recurring alarms to help me stay on top of my morning routine and get out the door on time.

• I have been doing this since my girls were babies.
  Starting from the time I wake up to the time we need to be going out the door.
  I have alarms throughout the day for pickups and all the other events going on in our lives. They are linked to my calendar and a lifesaver.
  It’s too much for my brain.

CURRENT WEEKDAY MORNING ROUTINE

I’m doing Rachel Hollis’s 90-day challenge which includes her 5 -to- thrive.
I typically wake up at 5:00 am. With the 90 day challenge, I’m getting up an hour earlier.

• 4:00 am: Wake up – Get the day started
  
• Drink lemon water with apple cider vinegar (with the mother) and cayenne pepper.
  Depending on how I ate the prior day and how my stomach feels.
  I learned this on a program I took with Danette May.
• Read scripture, women prayer journal or book I’m reading.
•  Review & plan what I have going on for the day.
  I’m using the  Living Well Planner by Ruth Soukup.
• Drink hot tea. Dandelion, peppermint or green tea.

5:00 am: Work Projects
6:00 am: Get Ready
6:30 am: Get girls breakfast, snack and lunch ready. Make protein smoothie.
6:45 am: Step on it
7:00 am: Get girls up. Dressed and breakfast.
7:30 am: Step on it to get Kennedie to school.

This is when the girls need to start doing their final steps to be ready. Like brush teeth, clean face and brush hair.

7:45 am: Start getting out the door. This can take some time, especially in the winter (putting on winter gear).
And with two girls who may suddenly not like the shoe, they had out to wear.
7:55 am: Get in the car
Kennedie needs to be at school before 8:15 am.
8:30 am: Kendall to get to school by 9:00 am

Monday Morning Blues
Depending on the morning we are having, I sometimes brush Kendall’s teeth and fix her hair after dropping Kennedie off to school. We can’t let Kennedie get a “tardy” for arriving at school late.

Kendall had Monday blues and refused to get dress. While crying and screaming that she did not want to go to school. I had to put her in the car in her PJs. In order to get Kennedie to school early.

SECOND PART OF MORNING ROUTINE

Most mornings I go directly to the gym after dropping both girls off. I either attend a 9:15 am or 9:30 am group exercise class.

As I work on building my business I have found I must change up my routine frequently as I blend family and work.

I may work late into the night or early morning. Sleeping later when I do this. I use to say, “sleep is overrated”, however, as I learn more about health and fitness I am working on sleeping/resting more each day.

PLEASE NOTE: I did not start out doing this, thinking that I was creating a “morning routine”.
I was merely trying to survive the best I could. Using a calendar and time prompts have helped me keep on top of things at work. I just incorporated what I knew and had success with.

2. Prep the night before. I do all I can to get a jump ahead of my mornings.

• Pick out our clothes/outfits for the next day. From undergarment to shoes and socks.
• Pack bags as much as I can.
  

Mondays are usually the most hectic after the weekend. Especially when the girls were younger.
And I was working a corporate job. I had to prep and plan accordingly.

• The baby may need more diapers and wipes.
• More change of clothes.
• Cot cover for my preschooler.
• Work bags.
• Breast pump with clean accessories.
• Breastmilk storage bags.
• Travel cooler to keep milk cool.

3. Get up earlier than your kids and get yourself ready.

    I like having quiet time to dress and do my hair and makeup.
    I also get everything I need prepared and ready for both girls.
    Getting ready before my daughters get up allows me to give them all my attention when they’re up.
   This gives me more quality time with them and I’m able to get them ready faster.
   

4. Wake older child up first, if the baby is not already up.

   I have been doing this since I went back to work after my second daughter was born.
   I got her dressed and started with her breakfast.
   While she was eating I got the baby ready.
   Getting my oldest up first makes our mornings easier till this day.
   She loves to have the time with me alone.
   Some mornings she wants me to help her get dressed and most mornings she tells
   me, “I got it, mommy”.  

   

These four practices have definitely helped me make our mornings EASIER, and take control. Please note, “easier”, doesn’t mean “easy”. 

1. Use recurring alarms.
2. Prep the night before.
3. Get up before my kids.
4. And, waking/getting up my older child first.

{READ PART 2: I REFLECT ON THE LAST 4 QUESTIONS}

 

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS – and take control of your mornings.

• 1. How can you make your morning schedule/routine easier for YOU and your kids?
  2. Can you ask for help?
  3. What can you hire someone to help you with?
  4. What’s most important for You to hold on to?
  5. What can you let go?