No one can prepare you for when you become a mother. It's a hard but rewarding journey.
As a mum, business owner, and creative director, I have learnt many hard lessons over the years. So, I thought I would share some with you today!
Lesson 1 – Get excited for bath time as it means it’s almost bedtime.
Lesson 2 - Life doesn’t always turn out how you planned it to turn out and sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. This was very real for me when I had a 6 day old and my husband had to return to WA due to covid border restrictions and we had no idea when he would be back. In this situation we had no other option so just had to go with it. tip - Acknowledge that things may (most likely will) go pear shape and adjustments just have to be made.
Lesson 2 – Use your support team. Maybe in the beginning you will feel like you can do it all, but in all honesty, you really don’t have to and nobody actual wants you to do it all on your own. A support network is essential to everyone and looks different bases on their own individual situation. Even if it’s just the neighbour next door who offers to help with anything big or small. We all need someone to rely on, whether it’s family or not.
Lesson 3 – Routine. Both you and your child will be grateful for this. It doesn’t have to be a big fancy sleep program or App that you have bought (although they are handy). It can be simple, consistent routines that you do every day with your little one that will make your life so much easier. An example is prior to nap time, change nappy, go to child’s room, sing a song, read a book, have cuddles and kisses and then lay them down for a nap. If you do this at every nap time settling for a nap will be so much smoother as your child gets use to this routine.
Lesson 4 – Do little things that take the pressure off and make your day that little be easier to get through. Whether that be packing a lunchbox at breakfast ready for lunchtime or having multiple washing baskets so you can sort each family members clothes as you get them off the line so you don’t have to rummage through a mountain of folding to find your child’s sock.
Lesson 5 – Use a weekly planner and allocate 5-10 minutes a week to plan out your week including your meals, appointments, play dates, shopping list, cleaning tasks, to do tasks ect. That 5-10 minutes is well spent and you will have a much smoother week having not so much to remember and think piled in your head. Being organised is something you will never regret!
Never estimate the power of a diary. Every Sunday evening I sit down and list my priorities for the week ahead and I organise them from highest to lowest priority and implement them into my diary in time frames.
Lesson 6 – Me time. Every parent responds to this one. I just don’t have time but how can you fill everyone else’s cups if yours is empty. This doesn’t have to be an hour getting your nails done it could be as simple as putting your baby down for a nap and going outside for 5 minutes before you race around the house to get everything done. That 5 minutes will do you the world of good and you will be more efficient for your “race around the house”.
Rest isn't an option, it's a necessity. I made rest an option for far too many occasions when I first started my business. I didn't prioritise myself and re-filling my cup so guess what happened... I was severely burnt out. Make time for yourself each week to rest, the consequences on your health is far too heavy.
Lesson 7 - Have fun! We are all juggling different responsibilities which can make life feel overwhelming. I have learned first hand that if I'm not actually enjoying what I'm doing, then I need to reevaluate because it isn't worth it.
Regardless of where you are at in your journey, I hope you have found a take-away from this email. As always , thanks for tuning in!
Make sure your are following us on our Socials. FOLLOW HERE
With love, Kez