Super Mom

by Tracy Lyn Moland, Author of Mom Management, Managing Mom Before Everybody Else

Diana Prince, Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker… What do all these names have in common? They are the alter egos for Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man. Super heroes are not super all the time… so why does Mom feel the need to be in her character at all times?

Being a great Mom does require some super qualities. How else can Mom get through a day of household duties, chauffeuring, work, conflict management, exercise, relationship building, volunteering, plus all the extras? This super human pace cannot go on forever and at some point Mom needs to slow down, remove her cape and retreat to the anonymity of her alter ego.

If Superman stayed in character all the time, he would eventually burn himself out. In a moment of fatigue, he may not be "able to leap buildings in a single bound." This applies to Mom as well. If she stays in costume at all times, she will be overtired and overwhelmed. She will no longer be able to deal with the day to day demands of life. When Mom is in over her head and her stress levels have increased, the entire family will feel the effects. Children will feed off Moms mood and become irritable and stressed out themselves. This will, of course, increase Moms stress and a cycle begins.

So what can Mom do? Mom needs to take care of her alter ego as well as her superhero status. She needs to take care of the "Me in Mommeee." Mom needs to discover what her dreams and passions are and spend a little bit of time nurturing them. She needs to include a few things on her daily To Do list that are just for her. She needs to make sure to take care of her own physical and nutritional needs. By increasing the strength and energy of her alter ego, she increases the strength of Super Mom.

Five ideas for care of Super Mom's alter ego:

  1. Spend 15 quiet minutes a day reading a favorite book, magazine, or writing in a journal.
  2. Go for a 15 minute walk - alone or with a girlfriend.
  3. Spend 15 minutes doing a project or hobby - crafts, scrapbooking, or gardening.
  4. Take a night class - exercise, special interest, or towards a certificate or degree.
  5. Learn to say No to activities that are not true priorities to you or your family.
Tracy Lyn Moland it a professional speaker and author of Mom Management, Managing Mom Before Everybody Else © 2003. Used with permission of The Gift of Time. All rights reserved. Order from Amazon.com or http://www.MomManagement.com

Also see:
• Quick ideas to finding time for you
• More articles about work and family balance
• Executive moms balancing secrets