The Business of Motherhood

As the novelty of being “home” fades, I’m craving a routine and a purpose. The first part of that is somewhat handled for me thanks to the rigidity of the Pre-K schedule. The second is harder to pinpoint. I’m clear on why I decided to take this time. What I will do with it is a different story. I’ve decided I have two overarching goals during my intermission:

1. Design a process at home that sets me up for success once I do return to work
2. Do well in the job I have right now: Stay at Home Mom

On these, I have more thoughts in my head than can be reasonably captured in one article so let’s start with the first point. It’s become clear that what was working for me before was actually not working... it was hanging on by a thread. The pieced together framework of chaos my husband and I navigated on autopilot balancing two big jobs, 6 children, and one another is not a strong foundation on which to build a future that involves more complexity as our younger crew moves into the school-age years.

I am certain there is a system or set of processes that can help, but I must first understand what I am trying to solve for. I also can’t implement something that won’t be sustainable for us once I return to work, which is my intention. Identifying the pain points was rather simple – I asked myself "what pushes me to my breaking point on a daily basis?" And the answer poured out of me in a way that was therapeutic:

1. Arriving at home involves the boys running crazily throughout our open floor plan house, in three different directions which typically involves at least one of them climbing on furniture, someone else playing with something fragile, and another scarfing down junk food which will inevitably result in not eating their actual dinner.
2. The enormous amount of PAPER. Piles of paperwork that comes home from different places and includes everything from artwork, to important forms that need to be completed, to birthday party invitations. It may sound silly, but in the chaos of emptying 3 different backpacks, trying to keep everyone from hurting themselves, and needing counterspace for actual food, it’s nearly impossible to keep track of it all.
3. Bedtime. Bedtime is a problem. Not even sure how to describe this one: Imagine everything that could go wrong, then blow it up, and maybe you’ll come close to understanding what bedtime with three little boys is like.

With my three primary issues identified, I chose to begin with #2. It was the least complex and I’m looking for some quick wins here. Next thing I knew, I was in line to checkout at our local Staples Stores , precariously balancing a stack of plastic bins one on top of the other, barely able to see around them, and on a mission to aggressively organize my life.

The final product was a thing of beauty. Was it complex? NO. It is laughably simple, and it only took about 2 hours to get this done (one for each kid). But the real win was making the time to prioritize something that to the untrained eye seems inconsequential, but to the working mother in the thick of it, will be a life-saving repository for keepsakes, schoolwork, and important correspondence.

I addressed issues 1 and 3 in collaboration with my colleague (husband) to design a better process for the evening routine. DM me if there's interest, I'm happy to share what we implemented!

Next, and motivated by my own craftiness, I set my sights on my second goal – How can I excel right NOW as a Stay at Home Mom? What would that entail and what does success even look like? Stay tuned for more…

Christine Robinson is a wife, mother of three wild boys and stepmom to three awesome kids. (Yes, six in total!)

As a Latina, working mother, and community activist, Christine is passionate about empowering women and underrepresented groups in the workplace.?She's spent her professional career managing supply and demand and most recently serving as the Head of Resource Management for one of the world’s largest CPA Advisory firms.?

Christine enjoys speaking with diverse audiences and has been featured in the New York Times, on podcasts, LinkedInLive events, and on college campuses. She has an MS in Human Resource Management from Fordham University, a BS in Sociology from Bowling Green University, and is a certified Resource Management Professional.