Momup Monday! What would you include in a motherhood survival kit?
So, have you ever run into an old college roommate at a coffee shop, or met your husband’s co-worker for the first time, or simply been introduced to a female without children at a social function? They often inquire about your life, asking, “so, what do you do?” To which you reply, “I am a stay at home mother”. What follows is a slight side tilts of their head in a sympathetic manner, nod, and an expression of sorrow, as if they just found out you were diagnosed with a deadly disease. Then the icing on the cake, the ever dreaded comment, “You are JUST home with the kids”. WHAT!!! Like it is a cake walk!
What if you were given the opportunity, right then and there, for her to truly experience all the joys of being a stay at home mother? She would have to walk, drive, and run, in your shoes for one week. She would have to do every single thing you do, the household chores, drive children to school and after school functions/activities, make certain all three meals are made everyday, home is tidy, laundry done, pets fed, appointments kept (dentist, orthodontist, eye doctor, vet, what have you) be the support system, referee, therapist, tutor, lego builder, boo-boo kisser and any additional hats your children require. Granted, it would only be fair to at least arm her with some sort of Motherhood survival package. After all we would be throwing her into this role cold turkey. So, the question for this Mondays Momup! Topic is: What would you include in the motherhood survival kit?
My Motherhood survival kit would include……
First and foremost I would include my 199 Favorite Bible Verses for Busy Moms book, the role of motherhood requires much prayer. When you do everything you do in the glory of the one that made you the day is much brighter.
Second, caffeine, it is a must! I am beginning to think that once you become a mother you need to kiss those well-rested days goodbye. It doesn’t matter what age your children are, the mother’s mind is a difficult thing to shut down at night, and even more difficult to reboot in the morning. So I will be adding Fairtrade coffee from Delicious Peace to my kit. (This coffee comes highly recommend by me, http://www.deliciouspeacethemovie.com/)
The third item I would include in the kit is my planner. It contains everyone’s schedule, where they need to be, when they need to be there, and any additional short notes. Without my planner I would be dropping the wrong child off, missing appointments, shoot, even forgetting who I am. You can write your name, address, and who to contact in case of an emergency (Calgon take me away, remember those commercials, haha) in the front. It also has weight and measurement configurations, Toll-free numbers for rental cars, airlines, and hotels, and time zones (I guess in case the first two items don’t work you have all the necessary info to flee?) your aspirations, values, mission statement, and so much more.
The fourth item I would include is a phone to call mom. It is funny, from the age 14, and up until the time you have children, the blame for practically everything under the sun is often placed on your mother. However when you have your first child the relationship you have with your mother is reborn. You suddenly have such an appreciation for everything she ever did for you, and sorrow for everything you ever did to her. You can relate to her on a level you never experienced before, and it is so comforting to hear her voice on the telephone after you have experienced your own precious angel’s meltdown. She becomes your ally in motherhood.
Lastly, and this was a tossup, and very close, but you will be happy to know that my readers beat out a glass of wine. Did I mention it was close? While it is nice to unwind with a glass of wine of Friday evening after a long week it is far more fulfilling to read fellow mommy blogs and know you are not alone. So, please add your blog to the Linky so that I may place it in my motherhood survival kit.
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Thank you and be sure to post a comment expressing what you would include in your kit.
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 