Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Mike Smith:
Carol, on our last program you talked about how moms can make an attitude shift to give their lives more breathing room. Let’s talk about some practical ideas today. Do you have tips for some little changes that can make a big difference for overworked, stressed-out moms?

Carol Barnier:
I used to feel that bath time, that just ate up way too much of my time. So one of my favorite solutions was to bring a big Rubbermaid tub into the kitchen. And I would put a couple inches of water in it, and I’d let my toddler take a bath while I worked on dinner. I kept him a safe distance from the cooking area, I need to say, but I could keep an eye on him while I was still getting my work done.

Another set of my ideas, though, is to encourage moms to view downtime differently. ’Cause I try to have my family arrive, for example, not just on time, but actually a little early. Because that way, if something unexpected comes up, like—I don’t know—a leaky diaper, or some paperwork is forgotten or something like that, we have time to correct it. And also by arriving early, we would often sit in the car and just enjoy each others’ company.

But I’ve come to see these little snatches of time here and there where we actually connect with each other, that sometimes that was the most valuable thing I did with my family all week.

Mike: Carol, those are great tips! Moms could really simplify their daily lives with some of these-and thanks for bringing this help to our listeners today! Until next time, I’m Mike Smith.