4 Themes (and Tips) from Entrepreneur Moms

I had the pleasure of talking with a few other business owning parents recently as part of #wew2022, from our homes in a mix of sweatpants, reheated coffee, and husbands + toddlers walking around us. 

Sleep:  

It’s rough with kids under 3; really all about survival. It’s rough when kids are sick. And we acknowledge the conflict between wanting our own sleep space and treasuring snuggles with our little ones (that we know won’t last forever).

An Entrepreneur benefit: We can (attempt) to be more in tune with OUR natural rhythms & tune into what OUR body needs. We (are working on) don’t feel guilty for curling up on the couch and reading if that’s what’s needed. 

We are eliminating Selfish and reidentifying it as Self Care; because self-nurturing is good for us, and good modeling for our kids!

Sex:

Initimacy looks and feels different. In relation to Sleep, sometimes going to bed early instead of zoning out with Netflix is better. Sometimes a lunch date is more practical (and we’re more awake) than a dinner date. Sometimes the morning works out better than the evening. 

Stop “Shoulding”:

An amazing woman introduced this concept to me years ago and I channel it often. It came up in the form of “I should really do the laundry right now.” 

One wise member of our group shared that she tries “to minimize the mom magic”; she doesn’t want her kids to think that the work we do magically occurs while they are at school (even though that’s often the easiest way to get it done for those of us working at home). The tip I’m personally going to try out (on the laundry front) is to eliminate “I should fold my kids’ clothes”. This magical mom has her kids put their own clothes away, where they want, how they want. How empowering for both parties!

Support (from each other)

We don’t do it all, and certainly not on our own. Some great solidarity ideas that work for these boss moms:

• Have some Mom support groups that you tap into - in person or virtually
• Partner with another parent-like-you to be each other’s “sponsor” - a person you can call when you are struggling. 
• Find an Errand Buddy for motivation - perhaps a good tip especially for the extroverts out there. Have to go to the grocery store? Push your cart around with a buddy and check multiple things off your list (put on clothes, connect with another human, …and groceries). 
• Say It! Saying things like, "I need help" or "I don't know" to those around us can help us get the support we need (at home and in our businesses).