The Many Roles of Moms

I'm sure this is an age old notion, but it came to me in somewhat of a poetic way one day so I thought it'd be fun to jot it down and share it. 

Moms wear many many hats. We have to become master multi-taskers whether we like it or not, whether we are good at it or not - because there is simply too much to do! Here's what I find myself being responsible for while being a SAHM to a 1-yo and 4-yo:

• [re]Scheduler of appointments - being on the phone listening to inefficient automated messages and being on hold with a screaming tugging kid in the background. 

• Registrationer of lessons & classes - looking up the hours, prices, reviews, and locations of swim schools, gymnasiums, dance studios, libraries, play gyms, etc. while glancing back and forth to my calendar and the weather app to see when is the most convenient time to do what. 

• Wiper of butts, hands, eyes & noses - going through tons of baby wipes, sanitizing hand wipes, Kleenex, and toilet paper to wipe poop, pee, snot, and tears many times a day. Going through lots of hand soap to wash my hands and hand lotion to moisturize my over-washed hands. 

• Washer of hands & faces - this sounds like the previous one but it involves sinks and water. I'm a germaphobe clean freak who washes her kids' faces and hands after every meal/snack and outing. It's exhausting carrying their squirming bodies onto the sink edge and trying to clean them properly without getting water or soap everywhere. 

• Cleaner of messes - bending down and cleaning food off the floor, changing stained clothes, putting away toys, and putting random household items back where they belong...constantly trying to contain the chaos and restore the order. 

• Planner and preparer of meals - considering everyone's food preferences, the weather, and our schedules while looking up new and old recipes, creating the grocery list each week, shopping for the food, putting away the food, washing and cutting the food, microwaving or cooking the food, and washing the dishes. 

• Distributor of snacks - keeping a daily mental tally of each kid's nutritional intake and offering balanced snacks of protein/fiber/carbs/fat, sweet/salty, warm/cold, and processed/whole foods right before they get hangry. 

• Juggler of schedules - managing not only the scheduled appointments of doctors, dentists, preschool, church, and all extracurriculars on the calendar but also the sleep and eating schedules. 

• Shopper of clothes & shoes - keeping tabs on how their clothes fit them and the changing weather, shopping online (Amazon, Quince, Toms) and in person (Target, Carter's) to find shoes and clothes in natural fibers that go with what they already have. 

• Rotater of toys - observing what toys they play with and when they get tired of them, putting them in storage and pulling out different toys that I think they haven't played with in a while...every 7-10 days. 

• Regulator of emotions - constantly being aware of their emotions and my own, trying super hard to stay calm and kind when they cry/whine/scream/demand, trying to name/validate/empathize with their emotions, helping them calm down. 

• Singer and player of songs - learning and memorizing dozens of kids songs, singing them to entertain or distract (while they resist changing diapers or brushing teeth), introducing them to new music and compiling a playlist of their favorite songs, pulling songs up when they're requested, and listening to the same song many times on repeat. 

• Thrower of dance parties - when the weather sucks and we have nowhere to go...introducing them to my favorite music videos of catchy songs, releasing my inhibitions and letting them see the fun of moving to music. 

• Referee of fights - trying to calm screaming/crying kids who are grabbing for the same toy, hurting each other, or otherwise getting in each other's way. Teaching the older one to be patient and kind because her baby brother copies everything she does. 

• Researcher of parenting strategies - being aware of what I'm frustrated with and triggered by, looking up articles/podcasts that may have solutions, trying to find time to consume that information usually while multitasking, writing down highlights in my Notes app, summarizing what I learn to my husband, praying for help, trying each new day to implement better practices. 

• Reader of books - choosing books that suit their developmental level and current interests, getting them to cuddle with me, pointing out things on the page, getting them to engage with the book which sometimes requires singing. This is probably my favorite role. 

Thankfully, I have a husband who is pretty proactive in helping with all of these tasks when he's home but I definitely take on the majority or all of these roles. Hugs and prayers to all those who have to do MORE than this and do it alone.