How do moms do it all? Try doing this one tip!

Do you get the question a lot “How do Moms do it all?”  I get it a lot.   Honestly, people look at our four kids and think that it has to be so hard, but “doing it all” is in the eye of the beholder.  I like to tell people that I don’t do it all… I pick & choose WHAT I’m going to do.   I am NOT going to clean out the van today- because I am going to play pirates.   I am not going to play princesses right now, because I am going to do laundry (and teach the kids how to do it).  It is about picking and choosing where your time and energy goes.

Today we are talking with Sarah and Karen – two moms that have multiple children and get the same question that we are all asked from time to time “How do you do it all?|

“People often ask moms of young and/or multiple children how we get it all done.   Our answer to that became a little clearer when we became friends:    We incorporated an accountability friend system.  Each morning, we tell each other our to-do list for the day.

We check in with each other at least twice; once in the middle of the day to check on progress and once in the evening to see if everything was accomplished.  We provide each other with praise, encouragement, and an ear to listen.  We are both stay at home moms, but this method would work if we both worked the same schedule (ex: dayshift or afternoon shift).  It probably would not be as easy if we both worked and worked opposite shifts.  Our contact is usually via text message or facebook.  It may be a simple answer such as “everything is done,” or it may be a long, drawn out explanation of everything that has gone wrong during the day.  But that is the whole point – to have someone to hold you accountable for accomplishing your goals and also being there when you need someone.

Here is how it has worked out from our individual perspectives…
From Sarah:
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE having an accountability friend. Karen helps to keep me motivated to get more things done than I normally would by having someone check in and checking how much I got done. It’s also great to have Karen to vent to or share little moments of the day that helped or hampered my productivity level. I have VVS, a passing out disorder, and after an episode, I am very tired and sometimes sore.  Having someone to talk to and to help motivate me to keep going is just awesome. I have not only increased how much I actually get done on each day, I have gained an amazing friend!

• Try to not schedule big things all in one day.
• The key is to stretch it out.
• Whether you plan for a day or for a week at a time, schedule one big thing a day and smaller things to accompany it.  This breaks everything up.  For instance, laundry day and grocery shopping never fall on the same day.
• The kids all have little chores to pitch in and learn responsibility.
• Call, text or message your friend by the middle of the day.
• Encourage one another