Adaptability, this word is forever in the forefront of my mind because as a mother of two small children the ability to go with the flow, modify plans, and change direction at a moments notice is a necessary attribute. I'm constantly reminded of this when I'm eagerly anticipating the "perfect day" with my children, which incidentally could be a variety of fun activities, and out of nowhere, I realize that I can no longer do what I intended.
More often than not, my abrupt course change is a result of a sick child, but it truly can be a number of unexpected occurences. In fact, just the other day, we invited our neighbors over for dinner and a playdate with the kids. I was cleaning the house when I heard my infant crying only to discover that she had thrown up during her nap. After the bath and subsequent clean up, I phoned our friends to reschedule. I had a similar experience with my son one particularly tired and cranky afternoon, and once again, I had to modify my plans on the fly. Don't even get me started on the number of times, my husband and I have had to cancel "date nights" or other plans. The irony is that I have difficulty handling my own disappointment. This is obviously foolish, but as a working mother, I look forward to the hours of play time with my children, alone time with my husband, or otherwise.
As a result, I have developed some helpful tips to avoid getting derailed.
Tip #1 - I always notify my children of our intended "fun" plans a day or hours sometimes before the event. This helps to alleviate any saddness from my children, and it keeps my mind in a "wait and see" mode which for some reason helps when plans get foiled.
Tip #2 - Always have a back-up babysitter, or in our case, two back-up babysitters. It's amazing that even when we schedule babysitters weeks in advance last minute and unavoidable changes happen. Do the work of finding another great babysitter or two now, and you won't have to worry about postponing another romantic night out.
Tip #3 - Don't sweat the small stuff. In truth, play dates, trips to the zoo, and dinners out can always be rescheduled. It is not worth getting stressed or upset about. Rather, this is the reality of being a parent. As the old saying goes, "the best laid plans..." My advise: stay focused on the important things.
Tip #4 - I always pack my Devyn Bag with plenty of snacks for my kids. This helps to eliminate any hunger meltdowns once we arrive at our destination. Nothing ruins a day of fun like a ravenous little one.
Embrace Your MOMentum.
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