For those of you that follow me on Facebook, you already know that several days ago I apparently ruined breakfast by taking the entire banana out of the peel. I have since ruined other moments for my children such as throwing away an empty egg carton that was being used as a parking garage for small cars, suggesting that my daughter actually brush out the back of her hair and putting sauce over the pasta noodles. Seriously, when did life become so complicated?
As a "mompreneur" (I just love writing that), I make tough decisions about my business every single day. I have client assignments to tackle, interviews to conduct, proposals to write and (more importantly) bills to pay. Although my daily calendar and task list look daunting, I somehow manage to get through the list with very little chaos. And then the family comes home.
The minute the front door opens and the first backpack hits the floor, my day begins to fall apart like a house of cards (blog "shout out" to my good friend Robyn who originally coined this term). I am suddenly overwhelmed by homework help, searches for lost shin guards or cleats and snack requests. There isn't an afternoon that goes by where I don't hear the phrase, "Mom, where's my..." or "Mom, how come you didn't buy the..." or my personal favorite, "Mom, why didn't you do...."
I almost feel like I am living a double-life--why can't I manage my household the same way I manage my business?
I was just reading an article about a new book titled "Mom-in-Chief: How Wisdom from the Workplace Can Save Your Family from Chaos." The article said that the key to running a successful household is to treat your family members the same way you would your staff and colleagues--it's all about learning how to "lead at home." The article suggests delegating tasks to each family member and--here's the kicker--"ask for progress reports, check in to see how it's going, offer support, allow for setbacks, say thank you and recognize success." Really? I can't imagine asking my daughter for a "progress report" on how her room cleaning is coming along and offering anything more helpful than a quick "just get it done." But then again, my family life appears to be in chaos.
I have always been more comfortable in the corporate world than the "at home" world, so perhaps utilizing the work skills I've developed over the years to run my family may work. I'm certainly willing to give it a try. After all, I could use a day or two of not ruining someone's life.
