Give yourself a "Parenting Check Up"

Give yourself a "parenting check up" every once in a while. Ask yourself these questions:

• Am I present to enjoy the days I create?
• Will I be able to look back and say that I loved being a parent?
• When my kids are grown, will I have the joy of knowing that I was a part of the wonder and excitement of their childhood?

Look at your typical week. Make a "laundry list" of the things you do each day. See if you find tasks that you might:

• Simplify
• Eliminate
• Delegate

Can you simplify dinners with more crock pot recipes? Or eliminate cleaning the house every second by just "letting go" of a perfect house all the time? Have faith that you can find solutions that will find balance in your life. Don't put barriers around the possibilities and solutions that come to mind when you are looking to simplify, eliminate or delegate. Be flexible and aware that something might work beautifully one week but not so great the next week. Don't give up.

Reference: Doe, Mimi. Busy But Balanced. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2003.