What’s In Your Mama Tool Kit?

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When my daughter Pippa was born five years ago, my tool kit was empty. But after years of work and reflection, I think I have a decent range of tools that are helpful with different tools and situations. My tools include:

  • Journaling and morning pages to clear the crap out of my head
  • SLEEP. Doing whatever it takes to get my SLEEP.
  • Exercise. It used to be Zumba. But now, I’m in love with walking and the Classical Stretch program.
  • Babysitters. Because I need breaks.
  • Accepting help from my parents. Because I need help.
  • Accepting help from Nathan. Because HOLY EFF I NEED ALL THE HELP.
  • Spending as little time as possible on social media.
  • Getting outside into nature.
  • Neglecting the housework, but also
  • Decluttering whenever possible.
  • Going with the flow, but
  • making sure the flow is not headed for Niagara Falls.
  • Reading parenting books, but
  • not all the time, because,
  • I have to trust my intuition.
  • Dance parties in the kitchen. Sometimes a tool kit just needs the emotional equivalent of a confetti cannon.
  • Silence.
  • Meditation.
  • Solitude.
  • Mom friends with kids the same age as my kids.
  • Mom friends with kids who are older than my age so I can absorb their wisdom and perspective.
  • Mom friend with kids younger than my kids so I can feel wise and sage.
  • Lowering my expectations. All the way to sea level. And then lower. And lower. Just assume the flight to Nebraska will be the Apocalypse and then you’ll be happy when it is only a Shit Show.
  • Understanding that everything is a phase. Toddlers will eventually get all of their teeth and stop teething. (I swear, it’s true!) Your defiant preschooler will someday poop like a pro on the potty. And no child leaves for college with a sippy cup.
  • Accepting that life shifts and I have to change my routines, schedules, etc.
  • SYSTEMS to put as much of motherhood on auto pilot as I possibly can. This is actually the newest tool in my mothering tool kit and I feel like I need to use it now all over my life. I recently made daily checklists for morning and afternoon, laminated them, and hung them on the fridge. Then, we have containers for everything – a shoe basket, a library books box, a place for Barbies… I love systems!

Spoiler alert: expect some future posts about Motherhood Systems because they are changing my life.