Tag: real life parenting

Peer Pressure After Having My Baby

Thoughts post-baby..

“After having my baby I’m going to workout”
“I’m ordering some flat tummy tea soon as I drop this baby”
“My body will never be the same after having this baby”
  
These are some of the thoughts we as women think about before and after having a baby. These thoughts can have an negative affect on the way you view yourself. Sometimes being hard on yourself can put a dampen on your mood and attitude which can lead to stress or even postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is something that is out of one’s control because sometimes feelings takeover the body, but if one is never feeling like themselves they should seek help.
With today’s society, women are too caught up in trying to look like the next woman they see on social media, when in deed, they should work on a routine to create a new habit. Everything on social media is not always true nor always real. For example, if you want a new car you should work hard to get that new car whether you are financing it or paying in cash. The same goes for wanting your body to look better. You should always try to create a routine or habit that will enable you to change things around to better your life. It’s about taking charge of the things you want. So if you want to change your outer appearance than take the necessary steps to make it possible.
As women and mother’s we can get busy but don’t let that dictate a change that you feel is necessary in your life. The same way you plan out your monthly budget you should do the same when it comes to your health. If you need daily motivation make sticky notes visible in places that you frequent around the house to use as a reminder daily. Baby steps could be a start to a life change but only if you think of it as a change for the better. 
After having my third child just about two months ago, I remember packing to leave the hospital and while in the mirror I snapped a quick picture of myself. My initial thought of snapping the picture was to see how big my stomach was after having my baby. I don’t feed into the hype about snapping right back after having a baby but more so about having my own wants and wishes about my body. Yes, I do want my flat tummy back but on my terms. I don’t follow trends I stay in my own lane. I’ve learned since having my third child that I must learn to take time for myself more than usual. I made a vow to start taking it slow but to add fitness into my daily routine.
Below are six habits that I have implemented into my daily routine. I’m sharing them because if you find yourself wanting to get back to yourself after having a baby these small habits can help build that fire back up.

Six Habits:

  1. Walk for about 15-20 minutes daily
  2. Do 25-50 jumping jacks daily
  3. Be sure to drink 8 glasses of water daily
  4. Be sure to eat 3 meals a day (make sure portions of food are not too big to avoid over eating)
  5. 15 minutes of cardio
  6. Take multivitamins

These habits are not in a particular order so do them as you please.

Moms comment below if you find these habits helpful. I am not an expert but I am recommending some habits to try out daily based on personal experience.

 

Children & Chores

Chores…

Are your children too young for that?

Well think about it. If you tell your children to go grab something for you then they are following directions. Following directions is key to making it work.

I remember back when I was young my mother would wake me and my sister at the crack of damn to clean on the weekends. It had to be about 6 am on a Saturday morning. I remember thinking is this woman serious right now and I don’t have school. Sometimes she wouldn’t physically wake us up it would be the noise from the loud music blasting from the living room.

Cleaning on the weekends were different from cleaning during the week. Weekends meant deep cleaning. we had to clean baseboards, cabinets and rearrange cabinets and many other things if they were out of place. The baseboards in particular had to be shining. We had a two-level apartment so we had to start on top and go to the bottom level.

We had to clean our room, the living room, kitchen and bathroom. Thinking back on it, it wasn’t much at all but it took us about a good 4-5 hours to clean the house back then. My mother was a stickler for a clean home. I guess that’s where I get my OCD characteristics from.

It seemed like torture back then, but now that my children are growing up I feel it’s good to teach them the importance of cleaning early. My daughter, 5 and son, 1 1/2 both are learning what it means to clean up after themselves and to help mommy when she needs it. Below, I will go into detail with 5 chores that your children can do around the house.

5 Chores for your Children to do:

  1. Sweep the floors (living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom if no carpet). be sure to have a broom that’s not too heavy so your children can sweep with no issue and handle it while using the dust pan.
  2. Mop the floors (living room, dining room,kitchen, bathroom). Use a regular mop head or Swiffer. The Swiffer may actually be easier for children to maneuver.
  3. Wipe counter-tops/sinks/tables. Since this is young children cleaning and we don’t want them spraying chemicals in their eyes, it’s best to get disinfectant wipes.
  4. Wash dishes (cups, bowls, plates). Tip: keep it simple so they don’t get hurt.
  5. Cleaning their room. They should be a EXPERT in cleaning their room. My daughter struggles with her room because she acts like she don’t know where things go. I’m working with her to minimize areas to place toys because I usually end up finishing her room which will change soon.

 

All of these chores are quick & easy. Children watch our routines and mimic us, so why not put them to work. It’s all FUN!!

Have you been considering putting your children to work with chores? If so, let us know which chores. We want to hear your stories.

Mom don’t feel guilty

 My grandmother who was born in the 1940s said us mother’s today have it easy. When you think about all the things we have access to we definitely do. Things pertaining to medical care and necessities for mother and baby. Another thing, my grandmother mentioned is that us mothers in today’s society consume our time with our children instead of balancing out time for self.

I am guilty of this.

I put my children’s needs before mine.

Everything I do I rarely put time in my calendar to do for myself.

Mother’s this must STOP.

How?

So just as easy as we set a reminder about something for our children (ex: doctors appointments, soccer or cheerleading practice) on our calendars instead we must start doing the same thing for ourselves. Don’t feel guilty for setting a reminder for brunch to have some girl talk.

Brunch is one of my favorite things to do here in Atlanta when meeting with friends. We have so many restaurants to choose from but that’s another topic. I love food! As women and mother’s we must understand that we had a life before children and that must continue. Now I’m not saying everyday you should be partying or hanging out but I think 3-4 times out the month is standard for a mother to hang out by herself or with friends.A few things you could do for yourself and not feel guilty :

  1. use the restroom in peace
  2. get the last of the ice cream and watch your favorite television show/movie on the couch with your comfy blanket
  3. take a nap or go to bed with no interruptions
  4. schedule that deep tissue massage that you been wanting to do for months
  5. do some retail therapy and manage not to pick up anything for the children

Moms all of these options are doable. I know for me it’s hard to step outside of my routine. It’s like when I do I feel discombobulated because I am so use to going from a to b to c with no distractions. Sometimes we have to step out of our routine and live a little.

I hope you take some of my recommendations and don’t feel guilty the next time you make time for yourself.

So next time your friends take you up on a night on the town don’t turn them down. Remember exactly what I’m saying in this post. Don’t feel guilty as your children grow older they will learn to understand.

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