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The Mom Hour

The most fun you've ever had with two moms you've never met.

in Episodes on September 23, 2015

Routines For A Happy Mom-Life: Episode 20

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Routines are powerful. When they’re just right, we feel energized and balanced. When they’re a little off, we feel unsettled. And when they completely fall by the wayside, we sometimes need a complete reset to get back on track (looking at you, back-t0-school season).

In Episode 20, Meagan and Sarah share their own quirky morning and evening routines. We talk about getting enough sleep, common advice about routines that doesn’t work for us, and how routines shift over time as kids’ needs and schedules change.

We also share a couple of things making our lives better lately (links below). Enjoy!

Links we mentioned (or should have!) in Episode 20

  • LaCroix water, specifically Meagan’s favorite flavors: apricot, blackberry-cucumber, and cherry-lime
  • Music Together, Sarah’s favorite activity for moms and babies or toddlers to do together
  • Dear Moms: Sleep Deprivation is Nothing to Brag About (Meagan for The Happiest Home)
  • Sarah’s thoughts on early risers (including that handy night-light that changes color at wake-up time)
  • Rookie Moms’ genius hack for getting out the door without yelling (which inspired Sarah’s evening lullaby playlist)

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Filed Under: Episodes Tagged With: self

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« Things We Shouldn’t Have Freaked Out About (As New Moms): Episode 19
Debunking The Myth Of The “Good School Mom”: Episode 21 »

Comments

  1. Sheena says

    September 25, 2015 at 3:13 pm

    Love the talk of routines at home! I am struggling especially at the 3-6pm time of day. I lack energy, the kids want attention and I need to make dinner.

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      September 25, 2015 at 7:34 pm

      Oof, yeah, that’s a hard time for us too. That’s usually when I get up and get physical to keep my own energy going – so I tackle leftover dishes etc. that have gathered all day. Whenever possible we get outside during that time, weather permitting. And – of course this is one of those pieces of advice always easier to give than follow – if I do a little bit of dinner prep/planning earlier in the day, then it’s not so daunting during that timeframe. Thanks for commenting, Sheena!

      Reply
  2. Jacquie says

    September 25, 2015 at 11:22 pm

    Great topic, thank you for covering. I love glimpses into how other moms structure their lives. It took me a little while into being a stay at home mom to figure out that anchors throughout my week were key to my sanity.

    Am branching out with my La Croix flavors as well 🙂

    Reply

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Bonus episode! Happy Friday! .⠀ Whether it’s a Bonus episode! Happy Friday!
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Whether it’s a career pivot, a creative passion, a relationship change, or just one of life’s unexpected twists, most women find themselves in a season of reinvention at least once. Today Meagan and Sarah are here with a surprise bonus episode, chatting about the idea of reinvention, how it intersects with motherhood and raising young kids, and how Meagan’s new podcast celebrates women reinventing themselves in a variety of wonderful ways. Join us for a fun conversation, followed by an extended excerpt from Season 1 of the Mother of Reinvention show.⠀
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I've changed my mind about small animal pet owners I've changed my mind about small animal pet ownership in the last couple of years.⠀
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I've changed my mind about a lot of things, actually. Not all of them involve rodents, but some do.⠀
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I really, really try to honor the experience of saying, "You know, I used to think ______, and it turns out that I've changed my mind about that." I try to say it out loud, and let my kids hear me say it too. Early and often.⠀
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It doesn't even have to be a big deal, really. But I think we sometimes we equate the stickiness of our opinions to the core strength of our values. We worry if we flip flop or falter, if we learn more and adjust course, we'll expose that part of ourselves that wasn't really very sure what we thought to begin with.⠀
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But I'd so much rather have a mind open to change than a perfect attendance record in a school of thought that doesn't fit me anymore. And for my kids I want a standing invitation for changes of opinions--from their first favorite color to their second best friend to their fourteenth college major.⠀
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(At least that's what I want right now, today. I might change my mind.)⠀
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-Sarah
New episode out now!⠀ ⠀ Whether it's pulling o New episode out now!⠀
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Whether it's pulling out the puke bucket juuuuuussst in the nick of time, or speeding across the room while pregnant to save a toddler from a toppling accident, we all know that feeling of doing what needs to be done in the moment without so much as a conscious thought. Call it quick-thinking, mom-heroics, or just another day in the life of parenting young kids, but these are moments that deserve to be celebrated. In Episode 309 Meagan and Sarah share stories from our own in-the-trenches days -- some truly life-or-death and others just, well, messy -- as a reminder that sometimes you have no idea just how strong, quick, clever, or brave you are until you're called into action.⠀
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Hobbies outside of everyday work, life, and parenting ebb and flow as your season of life changes, but it's fun to think about what creative pursuits you'll add back in as time opens up. In today's More Than Mom episode Meagan and Sarah speak from the perspective of moms whose kids are getting older, and who are pursuing hobbies in our own (often very different) ways. We talk about what hobbies we're enjoying now, which ones we could imagine trying, in theory, without needing a total life overhaul, and then some "maybe someday" hobbies we can see ourselves enjoying much later on.⠀
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Longtime listeners have heard me talk about this o Longtime listeners have heard me talk about this on the podcast, but this phrase - "Tell me more about that" - is one of my parenting go-to's, especially (though not exclusively) when it comes to kids talking about something that happened at school or daycare.⠀
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When your kid reports the news from school, try saying "Tell me more about that" in a sort of curious, mildly interested, never shocked, non-attached, and supportive-from-a-distance kind of way. Sometimes they WILL, in fact, tell you a lot more. (If they do, try saying "Tell me more about that" again, and see how much they'll say!) Other times they'll just look at you and change the subject. Either way I have found it so much more effective at getting conversation going about the school day than saying things like:⠀
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If your kids are newly back in person, we're betting there are ALL KINDS of emotional adjustments happening these days. Even if it's the thing you've been hoping for all year, that doesn't mean it's not going to be rough going for a while. Hang in there. You can do it. And, while you're here, tell me more about that! I'm listening. -S
New episode, available now wherever you like to li New episode, available now wherever you like to listen! This episode continues last week's conversation about friendships in motherhood (and in a pandemic) - but you can listen in any order. Let us know what you think!⠀
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The biggest lie we tell ourselves is that other pa The biggest lie we tell ourselves is that other parents have it all figured out.⠀
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In the comments, we'd love for you to finish this sentence: "Right now I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to __________." (e.g.: potty training, figuring out an IEP, parenting a moody tween, handling sibling fights, going back to work, etc. etc. etc.).⠀
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And for this post, when you respond to others' comments, resist the urge to offer advice or promote solutions? A simple "been there" or a "me too" or a "you can do it" can make a huge difference in helping moms feel less alone.⠀
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Can't wait to see what you're all muddling through the messy middle of. We know it's something, for every one of you, and that in and of itself is comforting. -S + M
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We're about two-thirds of the way to our goal of 2 We're about two-thirds of the way to our goal of 2,000 responses! Will you take two minutes and help by filling out our 2021 Listener Survey? Type themomhour.com/survey into any browser (mobile, tablet or desktop), and click through a quick and easy (and anonymous!) questionnaire that helps us understand our audience, plan future content, work with sponsors, and more. Thank you, friends!
I'd taken my shoes off to climb over rocks and wad I'd taken my shoes off to climb over rocks and wade through the current rippling away from the waterfall's basin, forgetting that my tender late-winter feet weren't quite equal to the task.

He perched on a wobbly log, inviting me up for a photo op. I had my own, momentary Mom-version of a toddler's "I do it my SELF!" before accepting his outstretched hands and pulling up to the log, where we both teetered precariously for a moment before mugging for the camera.

Looking at the photos later, I was struck by the role reversals inherent in parenting, how one day the three-year-old whose hand you held - guiding them under and over and around and through - can beat you in an arm-wrestling match, outsmart you in matters of calculus and chemistry, and, if you have one as height-inclined as Will, towers over you by nearly a foot.

You become aware, then, that they're only there - along for the family vacation, at the dinner table, engaged in the text conversation - because they WANT to be, and you're grateful for every moment you put into that relationship and hope you get a chance to invest more, and better, and deeper.

-Meagan
Have you listened to Mother of Reinvention yet? @M Have you listened to Mother of Reinvention yet? @MeaganFrancis’s new interview podcast is in its third week, and Episode 4 drops tomorrow. Search it up, as the kids say, hit subscribe, and get ready for another inspiring interview to drop Thursday!⠀
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(If you’ve listened, which was your favorite conversation?)⠀
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