Understanding Parenting Priorities :Monthly Goals for Moms

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Parenting is a Work In Progress… don’t you agree? We have little (UFOs) Unfinished Objects (aka our children) in our life always requiring some more work.

Understanding Parenting Priorities

For some reason, I have been musing over how much parenting is like working on a crafty project. This past month, I have had to neglect my blogging so that I can take more time to focus on my home and kids.  When you are working on a craft, you can either finish it off in one sitting or you can take it a little at a time, every day, till you have done everything that you want to do to make it look perfect.

Not so with children. You can’t finish working on them at one sitting. A little by little, you mould and shape that little person. You have absolutely no control over what your actions are doing to them and we can only say or do something and watch what affect it has had and how it shaped on them. It takes a few days to work and set before you realise, you need to press a little more. Much like pottery but a very slow motion kind, I’d say.

The hard part: with our children, when we make mistakes, we cannot undo them.  Are you following my thoughts…?

It is time to write this month’s goals and plan ahead as to what I want from February. I was hoping, I would do more on my blog this year. I thought, I would put into practice what I learnt last year.

This isn’t happening. ‘This can wait…’, I have been telling myself.

The new year started with my son having his mid terms and then on the last day he came home with very high fever. He has asthma and it gets really severe in the winters. We had a whole week of him being sick with a  flu and then another week with his sisters catching it. Then when he returned to school, after his spring break, Mommy had a hard time juggling everything.

We have two toddlers now: a 30 month old and a 13 month old. Both of them run about and into things. We need creative outlets that are suitable for both those ages.

Mommy has been having to do more homework than necessary. I am lucky that my ‘homework’ is so much fun. Two toddlers mean double trouble but also double the joy. We are always giggling and tickling, laughing and playing all day. I am constantly having to think of new activities for my children now. Activities that are suitable for both our toddlers!

Although we do so much more now, unfortunately, we seldom click photos because I am the only adult around them. A second here and there could mean things getting out of hand.

In January, I had to revaluate my priorities again: How much time do I really want to allot to my hobbies, is something that I have been asking myself a lot.

We have so much fun doing nothing more than jumping on the bed or heading to the beach that sometimes I wonder, if I am getting lazy to want to not work or if it is really the mum in me who has a lost a child who keeps taunting herself with ‘This moment will never come back!’

Cuppycake took her first steps last month. She has since learnt to run and climb too. She is at that exact age where Zaara was.

CuppyCake looks and behaves like her elder sister in many ways too. On January 25th we marked off four years since Zaara left us. This time, we didn’t miss her so much because every moment CuppyCake reminded us that God has blessed us by sending her to fill that void. We needed to be more thankful that God had given us two for one.

He answered our prayer for another daughter by giving us with two daughters: Ticklebum and Cuppycake. All that and more, it all makes me realize that my children will never be this small.

Ticklebum will be starting kindergarten this Fall and I will have just one toddler at home again. I guess, until then, I will have to take it slowly.

Goals for February:

I have a family priorities list this month but… my word for the year is ‘Management’ because I want to better manage my home, my family and my hobbies. I have been working on getting things to go smoothly in my home in January.

1. Sleep better.

With two toddlers, I have found that all the tricks that I had before, don’t work all the time now! It is like I have a bull-dozer on my tail most of the time. As soon as I clean, behind me things go tumbling, spilling, breaking or messing up.

Just when I think I am done with the kitchen, I find myself there for the next two hours more. Previously, if I wanted to work on something, I would get up early and get it done but now with son going to a different school and a higher grade, I am normally up at 5am… waking earlier than that is out of question.

Most days, I get only 5 hours of sleep. It is taking a toll on my health with itchy eyes and aches every morning.

This month, I am trying really hard, to find a way to sleep better. The past two days I have slept at 10.00pm and hopefully, I can continue that and make it a habit.

2. I am also decluttering 15 minutes every day.

Never underestimate the power of those 15 minutes! I have so much to declutter and it was overwhelming me. I have made a plan and hopefully this time, by the end of the month, I should be done. Hopefully.

3. Addressing our son’s anxiety.

My son has been showing some really strange behaviour these past months. Much of that is linked to his asthma medications. I have been trying to find solutions to cure his anxiety. T

his month started with understanding that sensory play is helping him. I hope to use other helpful ways that I have thought of that can help him.

4. Ticklebum and a learning journey.

Our elder toddler is now 30 months old. In September, she will be starting KG1. Everyday, through the week, we have been home schooling. She is really enjoying all the things we are learning through play. I am trying to get her used to being around other children and away from home too. She is very attached to me and shy.

5. Cuppycake and healthy eating habits.

The younger toddler is 13 months old but she still doesn’t have any teeth. Her doctor is concerned. We aren’t because we know it is a genetic thing. Our eldest daughter didn’t have teeth at 14 months too.

CuppyCake is a very picky eater. I am not sure whether it is because she has no teeth but we have been on a baby food adventure in our home. So far, what I have learnt from her is that she thinks that everything should be tried once. Only once!! 🙂

6. Crochet and crafts.

I had started on the Pearl in Summer Hat again. It is still in progress. I want to finish this hat off so that I can work on other projects this month. I have still two more crochet projects that are UFOs. I wonder if I will get time this month.

These are my goals for February. I also have a goal for blogging this month and that is that I want a better plan for my blogging this month. Let us see what happens.

Do you set goals for your month? It is a fantastic way to keep yourself accountable. If you are not a blogger but are on Instagram, you can use the hashtag #monthlygoals. If you are a blogger, you can join by linking up with us:

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