getmombalanced.com

Summer vacation is here, and if you’re a mom, you’re probably already dreading having your kids home all day long until fall comes and school starts again. One of the best parts of summer vacation is that you don’t have to plan your trips around your kid’s school schedule, so you can spend plenty of time soaking up the sun that you’ve been missing throughout the school year. You’re so used to your kids being at school, so it’s important to take time to yourself during their summer vacation. It’s tempting to let your kids sleep late and stay up late on summer vacation because they can’t do it during the year, but letting them get off their schedule can end up with them not getting enough sleep.

At the Watermark Women’s Conference in San Jose, CA, I listened to Laura Vanderkam, an expert in time management, speak to a room full of busy women, most of whom work in Silicon Valley (and I thought I was busy! ). Even if you work 40 hours a week and sleep 50 hours, that’s still 78 hours you have available. Though our schedule may be packed now and we’re willing to say no because we feel too busy, I also notice that many women will say yes to things that are happening later. And though you probably know it’s important, Laura reminds us that there are things we do that zap our energy and things we do that add to our energy.

Make it a game, play your music on your phone’s speaker instead of using headphones or let them run ahead of you when you can’t match their seemingly boundless energy. By taking the time to play with your kids, especially when they’re younger, you are building the foundation for an unshakable relationship that will continue to grow as they get older. Sure, your kids will eventually reach an age where they don’t want to go play pretend anymore, and there will be times when they’re screaming that they hate you through a recently-slammed bedroom door, but you’ll still always be their first best friend. Brian Chesky, the mind behind Airbnb, has repeatedly said that a sense of childlike wonder is the most important thing you can have if you want to start a business or be an entrepreneur.

It seems that when we’re not in balance, maybe because we’re spending too much time working, and then the house is a mess because of it, not only are things feeling off, but we’re also feeling bad about it. As if it’s not enough that time- and energy-wise we’re not spending that time and energy where we’d like, but then we start to feel bad about it. Guilt doesn’t need to add to the experience when we’re unbalanced as moms, so take the time to address the guilt that you feel and then take steps as needed to create more balance for your family. Ultimately, don’t feel bad about being out of your ideal balance (and also, don’t feel bad if the guilt is hard to kick! ).