Supermom 101 – My Personal Reflections
How many people do you know who are a supermom? What is a definition of a supermom? Every person definition defers based on their personal knowledge and perception.
Supermom: – an exemplary mother; also : a woman who performs the traditional duties of housekeeping and child-rearing while also having a full-time job ( Taken from Merriam Webster Online dictionary)
I personally do not classify myself as a supermom even though many friends of mine frequently refer to me as one.
I believe that every mom is super as she is able to cope to the best of her ability in any given situation. A mom is one who is resilient and able to adapt to constant changes in her environment.
This week I have been reading a lot about Supermom’s over at the SMB Facebook wall and how most women struggle to keep everything together.
It is not easy being a working mother, main care giver and household manager all in one.
Many ladies have asked me how I manage to do it all- kids, family, house and work from home at the same time.I certainly don’t claim to know all the answers to be able to handle the kids, household and also hold down a job at the same time .
It has been a struggle for me at times however I’m still doing the best that I can and will continue to give it my best in balancing everything. The dynamics of every family is different and each one’s capability, tolerance level and resources will also vary.
It has taken awhile for me to fine my balance and a routine which would compromise the needs of anyone in the family. R and I have agreed on before we had kids that he would be the main breadwinner while I focus my energies on the kids and family. However given the fact the no job is an iron rice bowl I feel that it is necessary for me to continue supplementing the family income even though I am home with the kids.
What’s your secret? How do you manage to do it all?
Scheduling and setting my goals and plans have helped me function. I’ve set my resolutions for 2012 and do monthly goals for each month. I also set up to-do list to be done with each child both academically and non-academic related.
I use Google calandar and Sticky notes for all blogging related tasks and assignments.
The kids appointments/ test dates are set using the Reminder Fox Add On which I have on my Firefox web browser on my laptop. Important appointments are also sync into my HTC phone with the necessary alarm reminders. All these apps help me keep on top of things and help me remember all the necessary things which I do need to remember.
Having kids of different ages from 8 to 1 yrs old there is a lot of juggling to be done regarding coaching them in age appropriate activities. I try to make a point to have one-to-one interaction with my 3 kids so I can focus on their areas of need. At present I focus on Monkey boy in the morning before he goes to school, Tiger girl in the afternoon when both her brothers are away and Monkey boy in the evening when he comes back from home. I schedule lunches with R during the weekday if his work schedule permits so I can spend more time with him as he too needs my attention.
How then do I schedule in blogging and personal time for myself? I let you in on a typical “workday” for me in a subsequent post. 🙂
Next post
Supermom 101- Starting Up and Setting the Pace
Posts on this series
– Supermom 101- My Personal Reflections
– Supermom 101- Starting up and Setting the Pace
–Supermom 101- How to Maintain Focus and Rhythm
Tin
June 24, 2012 @ 12:24 am
Thank God for apps indeed! Stickynotes, expense manager, mmda & unlimited wifi 😀
Hats off to super mom!
Vera
June 24, 2012 @ 8:02 pm
Kudos for juggling everything, and striking a balance. Yes Google Calendar helps a lot, if only I can remember to use it properly! 🙂
Adora
June 24, 2012 @ 10:34 pm
Hi Dominique, I like how you also make it a point to include the hubby. So many of us tend to neglect hubby and just focus on the kids! Looking forward to the other parts of this series!
Adeline
June 25, 2012 @ 9:55 am
yep! I agree it’s about adapting to changes when it comes. I wouldn’t label myself as a supermom either and I don’t really know how I got through these 12 years being a SAHM. Well, life goes! 🙂
Pearl
June 25, 2012 @ 11:00 am
thanks for sharing the things that you do to make your life as a mom somewhat easier. I’ll surely try these. 🙂
Foreverfriends
July 21, 2012 @ 6:43 pm
I salute to you supermom. I find it tough to handle two, let alone you have 3
Excellent point on including hubby in schedule.