Hey you, super busy woman with 2k commitments since the age of 12! Yes, you! You thought you already were a multitasking woman all-round? HA! Wait until you become a mother!
You’ll find out you had hidden resources you couldn’t possibly imagine.
Not to demote those women who don’t have children. Actually, if you’re already physically and mentally prone to be a multitasking woman, then you’ll realize there’s no limit to the use of this skill if and when you’ll also have to take care of a little one.
But let’s step back for a second!
It all began when a slightly out of mind mom (me, obviously) decided to start a series of posts in collaboration with other parenting bloggers called “What to expect AFTER you’re expecting”. The series in collaboration is only on the Italian side of this blog (if you can read Italian I suggest you read them all, because they’re hilarious).
The idea was born when I realized that, if there’s one thing that all parents have in common, is that there’s no end to amount of surprises that parenting life will reserve you.
It doesn’t matter how many books you’ll read or how many other moms, teachers, educator or pediatrician you’ll consult with: always be ready for the unknown! In the good and the bad. Having a child will catch you unprepared in a way that, forgive me, it’s really impossible to explain.
And today I want to talk about what it really means to be a multitasking woman!
Why is multitasking often associated with moms
Rumors has it, that women are naturally more prone than men to handle multiple things at once (there are always exceptions). But if we’re mentioning nature, then we should ask ourselves if the primordial reason is mainly due to survival instinct.
Let me ask you something that’ll help me explain better: how the hell do you think a mom could survive in the stone age?
They breastfed, raised, protect, hunted, starved to feed their kids first, created a shelter and could also keep some time for themselves for an awesome pedicure (can’t survive stone age without that!)
Right?
Somehow we must have carried on this instinct in these past millennia because I’ve honestly never met a woman who wasn’t able to manage multiple things or projects all at once. Whereas, if I ask my husband (who I consider very smart) to tell me about his day while he’s washing dishes… Let’s just say that the dishes will take a loooong time to get washed!
What about those multitasking AND overactive women?
You just can’t stop them, not even with a bazooka!
If you’re one of them, when you’ll become a mom you’ll need to tide yourself to the bed in order to stop for a second. You’ll wake up in the middle of the night because your arms came to life by themselves trying to make lunch for tomorrow, while you give the boob to your baby and your feet are completing the report that your boss expects on his desk for Friday. Then maybe you’ll get some sleep.
Here I can only suggest to dose your energy accordingly, because being a multitasking woman can be a blessing necessary for survival, but also a curse.
You won’t stop until the doctor, who sneaked on you while you were sleeping to be able to get a blood sample, will tell you that you have a lack vitamin A,B,C,D, the whole alphabet and also of Iron, Potassium, Magnesium and some judgment too (there’s a specific medical test for that).
Basically, you’re a zombie, but you don’t know it yet.
Calm down before you’ll find yourself in need of these “10 tips for tired mamas”. There’s a reason why I wrote that article, and it’s because experience never lies!
Multitasking woman.. Bring it on!!
Yeah!! Bring it on mama!
At the beginning you’ll be surprised of how much this skill will show up in all its power, but after a while you might end up wishing you were completely incompetent.
Because the more you do, and the more you’ll be able to do!
That’s when you’ll feel that you have absolutely no excuse to stop. And you might also feel guilty if, for goodness’ sake, you’ll ever decide to take a break.
BUT NO! Whenever this multitasking superpower will try to push you beyond your resources, take a deep breath and push it back. You can do this!
And let’s not underestimate the fact that since you’re so good at it, everyone else will let you do all-the-things. Partially to not interfere with your personal priorities, and partially because why in hell should they even try since you’re on top of it?
In short, you’ll spoil everyone around you and they’ll get used to have a force of nature taking care of things. But if and when you’ll collapse and you’ll need help they’ll have no clue what to do.
The best thing a leader can do is not to do things for others, but teach them how to do them better than you do!
I don’t know who said that, but it sounds really cool
When multitasking is physically impossible
The other day I went to the lake with my son for a couple of hours. My husband was out of town and I invited a friend that I hadn’t seen for a while.
We had a blast, but I have to thank God she was with me.
Yep! Because the little destroyer is not only at the beginning of his “Terrible twos” where he wants to show how independent he is (when he gained that independence is still a mystery), but also absolutely overactive. Who did he get it from? No idea!
Close to the water, this lethal combination cannot be underestimated.
Inevitably, my friend was forced to follow us everywhere instead of relaxing as she probably expected.
Picture me chasing Gozer the destroyer and then her chasing me. It was the only way to spend some time together. But the real salvation came when, at the end of the day, I had to convince my kid that it was time to dry up, get changed and go home. I had to put my clothes on too in some way and get ready, right? If my friend weren’t saint enough to stop him from diving into the water again (with his clothes on), it would have been physically impossible. I swear I seriously thought about bury him (head out, no worries) under 10 lbs of sand to stop him!
I surely succeeded in the first labor of Hercules when with one hand I was changing his diaper while picking up his toys with the other. But when it was time to get dressed.. I miserably failed.
Never ever again to the beach alone with my son and without a leash: NOTED!
Let’s not even mention washing the sand off of him! Multitasking there was a real boost!
When is multitasking a blessing then?
I think you’re probably wondering too, by now! Well, the answer will come but I’ll start giving you an idea.
You’ll realize that you can do things-you-people wouldn’t believe. Such as when you’ll flip ordinary daily things into educational moments for your kid.
Or when you’ll be able to find balance between career and family. Yes, because the two are not as incompatible as they try to make us believe.
Or when, after the first assessment time, you’ll realize that you really CAN handle everything, with the right dose of patience and adjustment skills.
And the awareness that, if on one side the unknown is around the corner, on the other everything is possible and you don’t need to give up on your dreams.
A multitasking woman and mom can really lift the world on her shoulders, because she also has the greatest motivation of all: the love for her children and family.
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