As a stay at home mom, one of the most annoying questions that can be asked is, "What do you do all day?". Can I get a witness? We know that our days have a seemingly unending amount of work involved, and we don't have the luxury of nine to five hours either. Nope, we go 24/7. Some of us are not only stay at home moms, but we homeschool as well. That keeps a body pretty busy, and when you throw in a work from home job to the list, life can get pretty hectic. So, moms, this review is just for you. How can you balance all of this, without losing control of your home, or your mind? Thanks to a fellow Crew member, her company, Lisa Tanner Writing, has provided us with the online course, Balancing Diapers and Deadlines . So grab a cuppa, and join me as I tell you about it.
This course was written with the "Mompreneur" in mind, meaning the moms that are either running, or thinking of starting, a business from home. "But that's not me", I hear some of you saying. Stay with me now. I don't personally have a business from home at this point either, but there are plenty of suggested strategies in this course that every mom can find helpful. So, let's go...
The course outline is as follows:
- Welcome to Balancing Diapers and Deadlines
- Building Your Foundation with the Basics
- Minimize Your Decisions
- Minimize Your Decisions: The Annual Meal Plan
- Sustainable Growth
- Growing a Business with Your Kids Around
- Boost Your Productivity
- Closing Thoughts
When I heard that it was an online course, I first thought of live classes or videos, and I was wondering how I might fit it into my schedule. Is that what you think of? I was happy to discover that this course is not set up that way. It is beautifully simple and concise. There are no videos or live classes. It is really a book, with a short outline, and then an action step that can help you organize your household.
What will you learn?
- You will be encouraged! Life may feel chaotic now, but there are steps that can create a more organized atmosphere.
- You need a goal. Decide what it is. Write it down
- Share your plans with your family, and the hoped for outcomes.
- Have a (flexible) daily family plan, and prioritize the most important tasks.
- Start the day with a family meeting to set expectations.
- Meal planning! This is where I often go sideways, ha. I found this section very helpful.
- Sleep, it's um, important!
- Free time. Have some fun sometimes!
- Set boundaries. Turn off your phone occasionally. Limit screen time, emails, etc.
- Get your kids involved. There are many smaller jobs that they can help with that will provide them with experience, educational opportunities, and it helps you out too.
- Family writing time. I really like this idea! Set up a time where everyone has a set time to write. It could be a creative story, poem, journal, whatever you like.
- Tips for working with children from infants to teenagers, including kids with special needs.
There are so many good ideas in this course. Don't let the title fool you. The mention of diapers may have more seasoned moms feeling that this wouldn't apply to their situation. As a homeschooling, blogging mom of over 11 years, I can say that I found plenty of great tips and reminders to make my home not only better organized, but flowing peacefully. I also think that calling this a course might scare a few moms away, but it shouldn't . This reads like an encouraging workbook or study. I love that each section is short, and can be read within ten minutes, give or take a few. The action steps are helpful in getting you moving towards an organized household.
The biggest areas for me to work on are planning each day. For me, that means getting up a couple of hours before the kids, so I can have my devotions, and emotionally prepare for the day. Then, I can determine which tasks need to take priority. Being an introvert, I need a time of quiet to charge my batteries. When I am able to accomplish these things before my girls wake, I'm in a better frame of mind, which sets the tone of the day on a positive note. I'll be revisiting this course a few times I think. I hope you'll check it out!
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