The Myth of the Multitasking Momma

School is about to start again, and although I am very eager for my kiddos to be back with their teachers, I can’t help but feel the weight of their school year endeavors looming over my head. Requests for playdates, solicitations for classroom volunteers, school fundraiser requests, and what seems like an infinite need for classroom supplies.

Sigh.

It’s cool though because that’s what moms do, right? Take care of our kids, contribute to our community, fix dinner, clean the house, finish a project at work, and be glam doing it — all at the same dang time. Right?

Wrong!

At least it is for this momma.

While I do consider myself to be pretty darn fabulous, I am not what I call a “multitasking momma”. In my early days of parenting, I tried really hard to be. I kept up with my career – doing all my tasks at stellar speed, finishing my projects before their deadlines, and performing at a rate where no colleague could accuse me of using motherhood as an excuse to underperform.

I was up at the crack of dawn every morning working out because baby fat was completely “unacceptable”. I split my weekends between household chores and quality time with the little one – doing all the activities I read in my parenting magazines. I burned the midnight oil researching ways to feel better, do better, and be better. I was determined to handle all angles of my life flawlessly and without complaint because Super Moms exist and I was determined to be one of them.

But in the end, all I was… was tired!

Don’t get me wrong :: if you have the capacity to juggle 18 things at once, then do you, momma! But if you can only do 1 {or 2, or on a good day 3}, then that’s okay too. I’ll say it again for the folks in the back – THAT’S OKAY TOO! You don’t have to work full time, take care of the house, and be the classroom mom. You don’t have to live your days fueled by never ending obligations and copious amounts of caffeine.

The myth of the multitasking momma can be daunting for us all and cause us to set unrealistic goals for what being a mother is. But the real truth of the matter is we don’t all have our stuff together. Struggle days are part of the design of motherhood. Heck, it is part of the design of life. Escape the hamster wheel of expectations, Momma, and set yourself free.

How exactly do you do that? The solution to doing it all is – SURPRISE– not to do it all! Delegate tasks at work if your job allows, splurge for a Groupon to have someone else clean your house every once a while {or ask the hubby to do it and use that money for a pedicure}, reduce the play dates to once a month – whatever it takes.   Prioritize the things that need to be done, create an action plan and tackle each item one by one. And don’t forget to include a bit of self-care in the process!

Do what works for you!

1 COMMENT

  1. Ah! This is so right on, Montoya! I actually go in phases of kicking into high gear and multitasking my booty off. Then I tell my family I’m entering a resting phase. I take more time to smell the roses. I say no to school and mom activities that I’m always amazed are expected of us…no, we have a choice, and sometimes those activities are not what’s right for our well being. Great article!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here