The Lazy Mom's Guide to Being a Supermom

              Something interesting happened at our recent Thanksgiving family get-together. Actually, let me back up a little. A few weeks ago, my cousin Meg had a baby. My mom called me and asked if she could pay me to make a baby gift for her. I suggested a baby quilt- an easy design- and we agreed on it. I was planning on making a baby quilt for my own upcoming baby, so I figured it’s not much more work to cut out squares for 2 quilts than one, right? Haha!  So anyway, that’s what I did, and that brings us back to Thanksgiving.

                After receiving the quilt, my cousin was talking to me about it and she casually asked, “How do you do it all? You must be one of those supermoms!” To which I’m pretty sure I gave her one of my famous cocked-head quizzical expressions that I inherited from my mom… what in the world are you talking about?! I had to laugh. “Supermom” is so far from how I think of myself- in fact, I’m sure you can relate, but I’m probably much harder on myself than I need to be. But after thinking about it for a while, I thought I’d share The Lazy Mom’s Guide to Being a Supermom!

                So in case you didn’t know me, here are some things that might trick you into believing I’m a supermom:

1)      I have two, soon-to-be-three, preschoolers. All of them are super-cute, well-dressed and groomed, and typically well-behaved. And smart!

2)      I work part time. At least for a few more weeks.

3)      I coordinate our local MOPS group (though really, not very well. But that’s a different post!).

4)      I’m crafty. I’m a glue-gun wielding, sewing machine operating, knitting fanatic. We even have a spinning wheel in our bedroom, how many people can say that? :-P

5)      We eat real food, made from real ingredients.

So what’s the secret to doing it all?!? Keep reading, dear friend, and I’ll provide you with some fantastic shortcuts and easy-way-outs.

1)      Don’t clean your house. Oh, I try to keep it to the standard of “clean enough so no one gets sick,” which generally entails no food lying around, no rodents in the house, bathroom hardware disinfected, and no visible mold or mildew. But the rest- nope. If you drop by our house unannounced you will see toys on the floor, fingerprints on the windows, dishes in the sink and probably a pile or two of laundry that needs folded (which, if you drop by unannounced, feel free to fold some of that laundry!)

2)      Have enough clothes for yourself and your kids that you only have to do laundry every 3-4 weeks. You think I’m kidding? Take another look at that giant pile of laundry over there- and then start folding!

3)      Teach your kids to do things for themselves. Both of my kids can get their own snacks, use the bathroom themselves, dress themselves, etc. Sure, it may not be perfect- but we’re not aiming for perfection here. It also helps that my daughter seems to have a natural eye for what matches and looks good together, and she helps her little brother get dressed.

4)      Rely heavily on other’s natural abilities and willingness to help. Like my husband, for instance… he makes dinner every night. He’s really good at it and it gives me an extra hour or two in the evenings to devote to supermom-dome (i.e. my sewing machine). And my MOPS steering team- if it weren’t for all of them, our MOPS group would go to pot pretty quickly.

5)      Don’t actually bathe your kids. Oh sure, I stick them in the bathtub almost every night. But real soap and shampoo… that’s a once-a-week indulgence. And the amazing thing is… they never look dirty! Water actually does a really great job of getting kids clean. Then I can devote that extra 10 minutes a night I would spend washing them to another row or two on my current knitting project.

6)      Make lists for everything. Then lose the list in the chaos of paper that’s taking over the dining room table. Try to remember what’s on the list, then realize you weren’t going to get it all done anyway and forget about it. Pick up your knitting project instead.

7)      Take an antidepressant. It curbs that I’m always going crazy! feeling that comes with being a supermom.

       Okay, obviously I realize that this list is totally lame. I’m not a supermom in the least. I’m late to everything, my house is a wreck, half of the time I feel like I’m losing my mind and I half-ass all my commitments. But I do love my kids, I try to provide a rich learning environment for them, and I make pretty things. I’m okay with that. The true secret is making time for the things you enjoy, which is really no secret at all. We all do it. I am creative because it makes me happy and it breathes life into my soul.

        Wait, did I tell you about my cousin Meg? She’s an amazing artist and a beautiful, patient, and caring mama to two preschoolers, one of which is a newborn with special health needs. She lives across the world from her family- in Hungary- to minister to Hungarian people. She is raising her kids to be bilingual, and is bilingual herself. Not something I could do… but I’m guessing she does it because it makes her happy and it breathes life into her soul. To me, she’s a supermom.

        There are so many incredible women I see taking care of their homes and families- and so much better than I- while still taking time for themselves and their passions. It always inspires me. It was kind of amazing to think that I might actually stir up that kind of inspiration in another person. *NOT* that I plan to think too much about it... afterall, I just have to remember how late I was to work this morning, or how I had to eat easy-mac because I haven't been to the grocery store in 3 weeks... to bring me back down to earth. ;)

      I would encourage you, though- If there is a woman in your life that you see doing a good (or good enough) job at whatever it is she does... tell her. Tell her you admire her and ask her how she "does it all." It will make her day! We all need to feel like a supermom every now and then. As for me... I'm just going to pretend that this maternity shirt is a cape and wear my label proudly!