How I Stay Organized as a Mom
How My Life As A SAHM Made Me an Organized Mom
(This post was originally written on 4/11/2020 and has since been updated)
I remember when my daughter Jordan was 2 and we (her dad and I) took her to a salon to get her hair braided for her birthday photos because she was turning 3. I don't remember the conversation with the stylist becoming about me being a stay-at-home mom (technically I was a work-from-home mom but I didn't know that term back then) but the moment Jordan's dad left to go get food the entire salon was in an uproar! I was the DREAM! My man "let" me stay at home? I had hit the JACKPOT according to them. I was so uncomfortable because I didn't see my life that way at all so I sat quietly while they fervently praised him and told me how lucky I was. I belonged to the Mocha Moms back then, a national organization of stay-at-home moms of color, and so most of the women I knew then lived just like me. I wasn't an anomaly being a Black stay-at-home mom in 2007 although it may not have been the norm, and yet none of us felt like we hit the jackpot. This #SAHMlife was TOUGH.
Psssst...
There are bonus tools for you & your kiddies at the end.
On one hand we were grateful for the flexibility it afforded us to meet up on Wednesday mornings for storytime and any random afternoon for playdates and picnics in the park with the kiddies while the rest of the world was at work. And we treasured being our children's first teacher and full-time caretakers instead of having to outsource those responsibilities to strangers. Yes, we knew we are blessed but STILL, this life is no cakewalk!
What Lead to Me Staying Organized as a Mom
Since then I've worked out in corporate America for few years once my daughter went to grade school but primarily I've been self-employed as an accessory designer and freelance fashion design instructor and now that I have my baby boy (Camden just turned 2), I'm home again now more than ever. If I've been a mom for almost 16 years, I've worked from home for half of that time.
Therefore, I now have systems in place that keeps order around here. So when I saw so many moms take to social media with their outcries of despair as they were now forced to work from home while also being forced to home-school and maintain the home and try to keep some semblance of self-care going, I knew I should help. I put together this planner to be all a work-from-home mom needs to maintain order and find joy in this new normal. 20 pages to organize everything from meal planning to chores, from summer vacation itinerary to habit tracking and so much more, including inspirational art.
Get your instant download here to print and put into use today!
Sample sheets from the planner:
Bonus: Free Fashion Design Projects for Your Children
Another thing I made recently with moms in mind was a tutorial for their crafty kiddies! Many of you have gotten the swing of this home-schooling life, and a good number of my friends have been home-schooling for years, so cheers to you! Once I announced that I will take my teachings online during the COVID19 quarantine since The Fashion Design Center of South Jersey is closed during this time, quite a few moms asked me to make a video for fashion loving kids who don't know how to sew. Well, your wish has been granted, mommas. Here ya go!
And for those who do have children that can work the sewing machine, here's a great project for them to earn both a home ec and an ecology grade:
Moms, just remember to be easy on yourselves. You don't have to be perfect to be awesome. Get organized, mom and find your bliss. You've got this!