How Being A Mom Helped Me Plan For The Future
Before I had my little bundles of joy, I lived for the moment. I figured that as long as I made decent choices, the future would take care of itself.
After I had children, I slowly but surely underwent a deep-sea change. I now know that the future will indeed show up whether we plan for it or not — but our actions can favorably skew the outcomes. I’m so grateful to my kids for teaching me valuable lessons about taking the bull by the horns to manifest the kind of life I want them to have.
1. I Learned to Pack Like a Boy Scout
I used to take pride in rarely carrying a handbag — who needs one when you have pockets for debit cards, phones and chapstick? However, it didn’t take more than one missing tissue when my oldest had boogers hanging to Hades to convince me I needed to up my bag game.
It’s not such a chore to pack like a boy scout, and you save yourself considerable frustration. You can find stylish and functional diaper bags that don’t resemble the gaudy pastel printed models of yesteryear. A girl could get used to having spare sanitizing wipes everywhere she goes, particularly in a COVID-19 world.
2. I Put My Organizer to Use
When all I had to remember was my work assignments, I didn’t need a planner. After having kids, I had to write down everything or risk losing my mind.
I turned the task into a teachable moment. When my oldest began getting school assignments, we’d whip out our planners together and write down important due dates and deadlines. We also write down upcoming family events like birthdays and discussed time management as we fill out our weekly schedules.
3. I Disciplined My Savings
Before having kids, I thought little of dropping $5 on a latte. It’s one thing when you only have your mouth to feed, but with a houseful, I had to tame my dining-out budget.
I invested in a quality teapot to make my morning cuppa at home. I didn’t keep track of how much this act saved me, but according to Doug Boneparth, a certified financial planner, I may have added $1,500 a year to my nest egg. The fact that much of my savings got spent on nursery decor seemed like a fair trade.
4. I Got Into Upcycling
Upcycling is the process of reusing old items instead of tossing them, and I don’t think I could survive financially as a parent without it. Yes, I play the hand-me-down game with my girls, but the rattiest T-shirts become rags. Empty soup cans used to land in the recycling bin without a second thought. Now, they become pencil containers and ornaments for the holiday tree.
5. I Learned to Plant (and Save) Seeds
Like many folks, I introduced my girls to gardening while sheltering-in-place with my girls, but I ran into issues with the current seed shortage at first. I remembered that I had to cut up some peppers for dinner — was I going to discard that valuable bounty in the trash? Along with my oldest, we learned how to sprout produce seeds in an egg crate and plant them outdoors.
6. I Became an Ace at Delegating
Before I had children, I considered myself reasonably tidy. However, I only had myself to clean up after, and I wasn’t prone to drawing on my walls with crayons.
If I hope to keep up with two girls, I have to delegate chores. We make cleanup into a game, and yes, we sing the song about everyone doing their share. Fortunately, my oldest gets a kick out of sorting socks, and since laundry is my least-favorite chore, I let her exercise her matching skills.
7. I (Almost) Never Run Out of Nourishing Snacks
I’m proud of the fact that I can whip together a nourishing dinner in a jiffy. My secret? I do a lazy style of meal-prep on weekends. I cut up my veggies and have them ready for nourishing snacks with little effort on busy days. I don’t want my girls wielding a knife unattended, but they can reach in the fridge anytime to grab some carrot sticks and hummus dip.
8. I Prioritize Self-Care and Quiet Time
Before becoming a parent, I’d congratulate myself on making it through a challenging day by drawing a hot bath and disappearing for an hour. I still enjoy a soak, but I have to make sure my girls are safely asleep first. Getting a moment of uninterrupted thought time takes planning.
That doesn’t mean I go all day without a break. I instituted quiet independent play times starting with my eldest, and now the entire family gets in on the game. My littles look forward to this time because they can color, read a book or pretend to put their dolls down for a nap.
Being a Mom Helped Me Learn How to Plan for the Future
I didn’t realize how little thought I devoted to planning before having children. However, I’m forever grateful that my girls taught me the gift of making my future brighter by using my present time wisely.