Looking across the aisle, I readily recognized the face. The Superparent. The harried look, ponytail, the running shoes, determinedly plowing through the store while herding her two adorable kids away from low hanging snacks. One kid was pirouetting in her dance clothes, the other in her soccer uniform telling her Superparent not to forget the Gatorade when she picks up her brother from Tae Kwon Do. The Superparent upped her pace and disappeared down the dairy aisle. I remember those days.
My exhausted daughter looks up at me (my daughters are both tiny), exhales and says "how did you do it with three of us"? The answer is, not well. I was stressed and tense and running from school drop-offs, to work, to soccer practice, to grocery stores to pick up supplies for cupcakes I baked at 2:00AM for a class party I just "had" to sign up for. I did it all (and in high heels)! At least it looked like that. The reality hit me one day.....as I was rushing to a school event while carrying my toddler, my two older kids dawdling behind me, diaper bag, purse and tote rhythmically bumping against my legs..... I was a mini-van driving, suburban living, dog owning, mother of three! I melted to the ground and sobbed. Don't get me wrong, I loved my life, I just wanted perfection...to be the Superparent....not the late and frazzled parent.
One thing I realized along the way was, the more organized I was, the less stressed I was. The less I piled on my plate, the more time I had. So take the time to organize your space, get help from a professional organizer if you need it. Scale down on the amount of things that fill your space and time. Scale back on everything you say yes to. And you don't have to pack away your Superparent cape... just reserve it for playing in the backyard!