Tick Tick Tick…. Where does time go? By Vicky Dal Molin

So it’s been quite a while since I last wrote and for that I feel extremely slack and take full responsibility for. I just cannot believe how much time has passed by without me realizing. I kept putting off and putting off finishing my blog each week and now we are here….. dare I admit it a couple of months later and only finding time now to sit and start to finish many a half completed post.

When I was single and living in Manhattan I used to feel I had no time…. Yet I always managed to do what I wanted when I wanted. Time was found. Since the birth of my son it’s no doubt priorities have rightfully shifted – but I never appreciated how little time there is. Days have become weeks have become months.

Completely understand now why so many businesses have been established coaching in time management. You know I even purchased a book on being a more organized mum. I bought it convinced I would be able to squeeze a few hours a week to read it. I haven’t even taken it out of the Amazon box it arrived in. Next weekend right?

So how does super organized on top of it “Me” become the “miss deadlines, perpetually 10 minutes late, where did that month go – Mum? Think the new name says it all. When you have a child to look after you can guarantee every waking (and sleeping) minute is in some way dedicated to them and then turn that child into a 2 year old independent stubborn boy…. Well there seems to be so much stacked up against getting back to the level of organization of yesteryear. No matter how much time I buffer in for a lagging boy refusing to get dressed in the mornings, that spilt cup of water as you’ve finally gotten him dressed and ready to leave, the tantrum getting into the car – still late! Hopeless case! Or is it?

I read an article a while back about a working mother who was commenting on how one day she realized how much time she was losing with her daughter as she rushed around doing all the “important” things – it hit her as she was rushing her daughter up the stairs how unimportant they all really were as she was missing so much about her daughter by focusing on tasks. She stopped herself there and has since learnt that while she might not be super organized mum – she’s super engaged mum. This article hit me hard as I have found myself so often lately.

Maybe I’ve become that woman always 10 minutes late to things, maybe tasks don’t get completed in my week, maybe I just don’t get to her writing that one week – but beating myself up for that isn’t going to change the fact that sometime life is full. What I do however want to be able to say – is that in that hour, day, week, month – I have an awful lot of wonderful memories of my son and that he’s given the top priority he deserves. And what could be more important or precious than that?

Tags: 35+ mom, later moms, New York City, older moms, organizational skills, parenting, raising a family, raising a son, son, time management, Time poor, toddlers