MomProfiles MomBlogs Opinion Center Your Kids Your Life Search Articles

Printable Version Email to a Friend

Rating: Rated by 1 Moms

Learn more about Lisa
Visit Lisa's Website
ClubMom Members: Purchase one of Lisa's books at Barnes & Noble and earn 5 Points per dollar:
Forget Perfect

An author, speaker and syndicated newspaper columnist, Lisa has been called "Erma Bombeck with an edge."  A mother of two who refers to herself as a 20-year marriage veteran, Lisa was recently seen on Good Morning America discussing the Desperate Housewife syndrome. Lisa is the author of the hysterically funny self-help book, Forget Perfect: Hilarious help for every woman who has put herself last on her own priority list, now in its 4th printing.

Other people make resolutions in January, but I make mine when the kids go back to school.

Every year it’s the same thing: This is the year I’m going to get organized. I’ll pack healthier lunches. I’ll establish a morning routine. I’ll clean out the closets. And I’m going to actually exercise instead of just spending my days in sweats.

While men and non-parents may think that the back-to-school rush merely means longer lines at Target, we moms often believe that back-to-school is our chance to wipe the slate clean and become the kind of perfect parent we all think we’re supposed to be.

But after 10 years of ambitious (and completely unsuccessful) attempts, I’m throwing in the towel early this year. And in the spirit of sisterhood and noncompetitive mommying, I’m inviting the rest of you to join me.

It’s time to reclaim our sanity, ladies. Let this be the year you actually enjoy being a mother. Here are five things you can strike off your mommy to-do list this fall.

1. Picture-Perfect Kid Clothes

Your kids don’t get extra credit for showing up the first day with a full fall wardrobe. Send them to school in their summer grubs for a month or two and keep your credit cards in your wallet until October. By then they’ll want what the cool kids are wearing and everything will be on sale. My two kids are living proof that a ratty T-shirt doesn’t get you kicked out of second grade.

2. The Volunteer of the Year Award

Room mother, pack leader, and team snack maven — the Perfect Mom does it all, but fortunately that’s not you. Pick one thing you really want to do, and when anything else comes up, don’t make eye contact and keep your hand glued to your side. They’ll still be begging for help in December, and they’ll be even more appreciative and organized when you come forward then.

3. The White Glove Test

The principal and PTA president have dust bunnies in their houses, too. Instead of shooting for a clean house every day, aim for an acceptable house once a week. Set a time limit for cleaning rather than aspiring to a magazine-inspired perfection standard. In my house, we do a “Power Hour” once a week. Everyone (kids included) cleans as fast and furiously as they can for one hour once a week, and that’s it! Litmus test: if you can find your car keys and tax return within 30 minutes, you’re O.K. If you can’t relax with dirty socks on the floor, you’re not having much fun.

4. Counting the Extracurriculars

Your kid’s resume is not your ticket into the Parenting Hall of Fame. This isn’t about overextended kids, it’s about overextended moms. Reduce your chauffeuring duties by choosing activities held at the school, right after school. Or consolidate your drive time by signing all your kids up for the same thing at the same time. They have a lifetime to take up a hobby, and if little Johnny really wants to learn basket-weaving, he can take it as an elective in college.

5. PTA Project Runway

Forget dropping the last 15 pounds and spending the final week of summer trying to channel Teri Hatcher. De-frumping yourself before Back-to-School Night is a waste of time. We’re all going to be wearing our PJs in the car pool line by October, so be a trendsetter and start now. The skinny moms in kitten heels and low-rise jeans don’t have as many friends as you might think.

Even after following the to-do list, it really is O.K. to ignore the marketers. You may need to pick up a book bag and few pencils, but whiter whites, shinier floors, and a busier schedule never made anybody any happier. You already know how this year is going to end up, so let’s just start there and eliminate the hassle.

© Lisa Earle McLeod, 2006. All rights reserved. You have permission to publish this article in its entirety electronically, in print, in your ebook, or on your web site, free of charge as long as no changes to the content are made and you include my byline, copyright, and resource box. Please notify me of publication by sending an email with a copy of your publication to press@forgetperfect.com.

ClubMom Sponsored Links ______________________________________________________________ (Advertise Here)

---

Rating: Rated by 1 Moms	Rate This Story: Click on a star (a 5-star rating is the best).