By Daily Press staff
Four steps to a cure
By Daily Press staff
Have you ever arrived at the office with a burp cloth still on your shoulder?
Is the pile of laundry on the coffee table so big you can’t see the television?
Are you tired, cranky and feeling stressed?
If you answered yes to two or more of the questions above, you may be suffering from “super mom syndrome,” a not uncommon malady that strikes most mothers at one time or another.
Simply put, today’s mothers try to do everything and we want to do it all as effortlessly as we (mistakenly) think our mothers did. Chances are if you are juggling one or more child, a career, the PTA and your marriage, things are not going to go smoothly.
The only Rx to permanently cure super mom syndrome is a full-time staff including a cook, a nanny and a chauffeur. Since live-in help is a pipe dream for most of us, some of the tips below may help at least relieve your tension headache and get you and your family back on track.
Take some time for yourself
Convince your husband, blackmail your sister, hire a baby-sitter or bribe a neighbor to watch your children for a few hours each week. Use that time to do something for yourself. It doesn’t have to be anything luxurious and you don’t have to spend any money. Going for a brisk walk, strolling through a park or visiting a museum for a few hours can be a great spirit lifter.
Prioritize
You can’t do it all — and neither could your mother. Pick and choose the things that you want to accomplish. This can be as simple as deciding you want to do the laundry and get dinner on the table, but recognizing you may not have time to sort the socks before tucking your kids in for the night. On a broader level, take a look at your life plan and decide what really matters to you. Yes, you want to make partner at your law firm, but you don’t have to do it before you turn 40.
Reward yourself
You worked hard all day, got the kids fed, the bills paid and the lawn watered. It’s 11 p.m. Instead of forcing yourself to sort those pesky socks, take a 10-minute break. Have a cup of tea. Do some yoga exercises. You’ll feel calmer and happier when you take a minute or two to pamper yourself.
Recognize when you need expert help
You’ve gotten the older kids fed. You’ve actually taken a shower today. You’re feeling good. In fact, things are going great since you came home with your new baby. But you’re still having trouble nursing. This isn’t a situation where your sister, mother or neighbors can help. They’ll have plenty of advice, but you need to allow yourself to get expert help. After your baby is born the Lactation Station at Saint John’s provided a lactation expert to help you get started with nursing. Now that you are home, you can call the Lactation Station’s breastfeeding support line if you have questions or are experiencing any nursing problems. The support line number is (310) 829-8944.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 30, 2004. Read the original PDF.