Tips and ideas I have learned from other moms

Lately, I have been asking myself, "What can I learn from other moms?" And this question has got me thirsty for ideas, tips and thoughts from moms who may, or may not, share my style of parenting. So, when I over hear a mom talking about something simple that she finds important in making her day to day life easier, I take a mental note. Sometimes the ideas get me so excited that I feel like I want to rush home and put it into practice. Of course, I usually put my own spin on it. Because, let's face it, none of us parent the same, but we all could use a little help sometimes.

Below are a few ideas that other moms have shared with me, mostly unknowingly!

Reading: Recently we had a friend and mom come share her love of books and reading to a moms group I belong to called MOPS (Mothers Of Preschoolers). The information she shared was informative and interesting, but what I really took away from it was an off hand remark that she made about how she encourages her boys to read. She said she has piles of different books, for different reading levels, stacked around her house. She often encourages her boys to pick a pile and start reading, or looking at pictures, when they are bored or say they have nothing to do. Now some of us do not do piles. But I took that idea and found a cute basket. Then I put some books inside the basket that I think my 1 yr. old would like and found a special place (somewhere easy for her to reach and out of the way) to keep the basket. My older kids have taken to reading the books to their little sister and it makes it very accessible to her. Not to mention, it makes a great storage spot for all those books you just can't seem to find a place for.

Temper Tantrums: I love music. My kids love music. And yet, I had never thought of this idea until a recent moms group meeting. A mom at my table explained that when her kids start to whine or throw a temper tantrum, she turns on the radio which plays a specific song that the kids know and they immediately start dancing the screams away!

Activities: A very simple thing that I saw a mom do, was make sure she had a big bucket of crayons in her car "for emergencies" she stated. I think we can all relate to that. Those moments when they just need something to do! The coolest part was she recycled an old dish detergent box that had a snap on lid to hold the crayons.

Storage: We all know baskets, Tupperware and plastic bins are an awesome way to store items. But the other day a mom opened my eyes to the art of reuse. She sent a big tub of meatballs home with me after a Super Bowl party and she used a large Country Crock plastic tub with lid. Her family had finished the butter and she cleaned it out and used it for storage. Not only was it good for food storage, but you don't have to worry about not getting an expensive piece of Tupperware back.

Relationship: Usually on a day to day basis, there are only a few minutes in the day, mainly at bedtime, when I can devote one on one time to each child. So, to keep those lines of communication open and to give each kid a chance to connect with mom, we have adopted what we call a "Mom and Son Day" or "Mom and Daughter Day." Sometimes those days are scheduled, but other times, if there doesn't seem like much is going on or the the other kids are busy, I will grab someone and say "Let's have a mom and duaghter {or son} Day!" These days usually include simple things, like window shopping down 3rd St, Dollar Store visit, lunch or ice cream. But the best thing about it, is that my kid gets to talk my ear off without any interruptions and I get to learn all about things happening in my kids life that I would not have known before. And with two teens, that can be lifesaving. . .for them!

If you are reading this blog, Thank You! I would LOVE to hear any of your tips and ideas that could help make life a little bit easier or at least help run more smoothly. Well, as smooth as it can get with five growing, noisy, energetic, kids!

Humor is an average moms best friend!

As I was thinking about what it means to be an average mom, I thought about something I saw awhile back that pretty much sums up the life in a day of a mom, average or not. You may have seen this before or maybe you haven't. Either way, you have to appreciate what this mom, Anita Renfroe, did with a well known tune, to remind us mommas we are all in the same boat. It especially hits home if you have older kids, but if you don't, you can take this is a sort of warning. . this could be you one day! Because there are just some days, us average moms, just want to say "Because I am the mom that's why!" And sometimes we do.

It is OK to be average!

I was told at my moms group that I seem like the most laid back mom ever! Well, with 5 children, 1 husband, 1 grandpa living with us, 25 chickens, 2 dogs (one of which I wish was road kill), and 1 fluffy bunny, you could say that if I wasn't laid back that I would probably be committed or at least wishing I was. Truthfully, I see myself as a very average mom. No frills you could say. I love my kids,I am devoted to my husband and I want to be a good friend and have good friends in return. But when it comes to everyday life, you will mostly find me, wondering what to make for dinner, piling laundry all over my couch and coffee table, hollering at my kids to pick up after themselves, and wishing for the kids bedtimes so I could watch a movie or read a book in my comfy bed. Sounds like me you might say. Well, then WELCOME! Welcome to a place where letting your baby cry, so you can wash dishes or go to the bathroom is OK! Where not doing crafts or baking everyday is more than acceptable. Where eating right, sometimes only happens on the weekends (and sometimes not even then). And where finding a way to keep it all together is about carving out time for yourself, whether or not your kids have been read to that night. Because most of the time, this is my life, and I often wonder. . .am I the only one?

That, of course, is a rhetorical question. Because I know that I am not the only one. And don't get me wrong, there are certainly times that I break out the crafts and bake some cookies (then eat too many of them and end up in the bathroom for an hour), or actually put my laundry away, but that is rare and only happens on "good days" (good days refer to times, you are hyped up on caffeine or your baby has slept through the night or your kids only fought with each other half the day or lets admit it, when we know someone is dropping by). I do envy those moms, whose house you can stop by at anytime of the day and you will not see a dish in the sink or a toy on the floor . . .that sounds nice. . .But us average moms just need to realize that it is OK to be average. Which makes those days when we decide to over achieve so much more special!