You need to relax more.

That was the five word response I got one day, not long ago, from Mr. Wired Momma in response to an email I sent him. I have absolutely no idea what the content of the email was that I sent him that elicited his response. And as you might imagine, my initial reaction to his email was anything but pleasant.

I was pretty much ready to tell him what he needs…….

And then I just actually thought about what he said. He was totally right.

Is this what Mr. WM had in mind when he told me to relax? Photo Credit: Gaylord Hotels

Surely he means regular trips to the day spa and solo weekend get-aways to paradise islands, I thought wistfully?

But then I rejoined reality and decided instead of being defensive, I was going to do just that. Relax more.

But HOW?

We’ll get to that later but for now – YOU need to relax more too.

What I’m seeing emerge from that tired, cranky working mom’s memo after she abruptly quit – is this overwhelming recognition that instead of ending up exhausted and feeling like we are failing at everything – oh – and not really enjoying our kids along the way – there are resources we can deploy and things we can do – to keep everything moving as scheduled and as one of my favorite commenters wrote (favorite because of her total honesty) – to “keep everyone from screaming at each other.”

Amen sister.

Amen.

Here’s where you come in. I am hoping you will share with me..and in turn my readers…what secrets you’ve deployed in your own homes to help keep the train running on time, that maybe helps your husband participate in the daily schedules or activities, and overall just keeps the peace. I’m thinking we could all learn some really great tips from each other. Ways you’ve learned to LET GO.

Photo Credit: December 6, 2010 New Yorker

I was totally inspired by one reader’s comment yesterday that she purchased a shoe organizer from Target and puts her daughter’s clothes in for the week. This way her husband can help her daughter get ready in the morning while she does something else – but she knows her daughter won’t end up going to school wearing dirty laundry.

Please – be creative – I’m soliciting all kinds of tips and tricks. Do you and your husband use an app to manage lists for the grocery store or upcoming birthdays? I recently just learned about Tracy Meyers Friend, a local mom, who developed a list making app with her sister called Don’t Forget Your List. What a great idea! I am planning to download their app this week and am thinking Mr. WM could use it too. If you’re a fan of the show Parenthood, surely you saw how they devoted part of an episode this season to using family apps to help keep everyone organized. One friend swears by Evernote.

How about meals? Do you cook on the weekends? Do you use a grocery delivery service? How do you manage those? What about making doctors appointments or purchasing birthday or holiday gifts? There is no detail we aren’t interested in if you have a scoop.

As you can see, there is no tip that might not be valuable to someone else and I’d love to hear them. Feel free to be creative – send me a pic of your system or a link to your favorite app. Or just send me an email. Whatever you prefer. But I would LOVE to put together a WM readers resource post of all the ways we’ve each developed a system at home that keeps others involved, or keeps the peace, or helps you feel more relaxed. Ways you’ve learned to let go.

And about that – us needing to relax more – maybe learning some new tips will help us do just that. So look – I’m really eager to hear what you say. Email me at wiredmomma@me.com. Please get me your emails by next Wednesday Nov 21. I’ll work on the post that weekend and post it the last week of November. And one lucky person will receive a $25 gift card to Restaurant.com for sharing with us – I’ll have one of my girls draw a name out of the hat.

A great big thank you in advance to everyone who sends in their tips – this is something to be thankful for next week! And until then, be sure to hit “Like” on the Wired Momma Facebook page to keep up with the fun and encourage your friends to do the same (and to send me their tips!).

 

One Response to You need to relax more.
  1. Jody Sedrick
    November 14, 2012 | 9:54 pm

    I’ve been using Don’t Forget Your List since it came on the market. The number one reason I use this app is that it uses the GPS on my iPhone to tell me I’m in proximity of a store that I’ve assigned an item. I can’t tell you how many times I’m driving down the road and get within 1 mile of the pharmacy and it reminds me to pick up the kids medications. It literally is saving me trips back and forth.

    On a recent trip to San Diego I used Don’t Forget Your List to locate the nearest WalMart. The nice things was as I was driving around the area the app notified me that the store was coming up. I didn’t have to focus on finding the store while navigating a new area until I was close to the store. It was a GREAT help.

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