Being a productive mom…It’s all over Pinterest, peeps.  As a new mom, you see (and hear) one of two things:

1. When the baby naps, YOU nap.
2. When the baby naps, use that time to be productive around the house.

Every mom I meet can fit into one of these two categories.  Some days, I am a #1.  But 99% of the time, I am a #2…or should I say, I AIM to be a #2 but more likely fall somewhere in the area of a 1.5:  Sit still, watch DVR/Netflix/Hulu, sipping an extra cup of coffee and not moving any of your limbs, not even to get up to go to the bathroom unless there is an emergency of dire proportions.

No, for real.  That’s what I do.  And I don’t even realize I’m doing it!  Pretty soon, 4 episodes of “Don’t be Tardy” have passed and I’m wondering why it’s so close to the time to pick up my big boy from Pre-K (distraction: How cute does he look in his uniform here?).  In fact, I found myself kind of doing this today, but girl, I gotta wake up!  I’m hosting my sister-in-law’s Baby Sprinkle at my house this weekend and the kitchen isn’t going to clean itself.

So here’s my 5 ways to be more productive during baby’s nap:

1.  Make a nap list of what needs to be done.   Oh yeah, you heard me.  Make sure it’s absolutely what NEEDS to be done and not what you want done.  I find myself making lists sometimes that involve unrealistic things that I could never accomplish during a nap.  So, insert my nap list.  These are things that can be done in 10-20 minutes or less.  I don’t like tackling huge projects during nap because if they are left unfinished, somehow I feel unfinished.  
2. To feel “accomplished,” aim for more than one thing on your list, but less than five.   My list today included picking up in the living area, completing one craft project for the shower this weekend, folding 2 baskets of clothes, and making/eating lunch.  I didn’t get all of it done – my living area is only partially completed – but I got to cross multiple things off the list and can move the pickup to later this evening.
3. Set a timer for each task so you don’t get lost in one thing.  I fold laundry while watching TV.  It’s easy to get sucked into a show and then not moving the laundry along.  I set a timer and if that timer goes off before I’m done folding the clothes, I turn the TV off.  I know it sounds a little like punishing myself, but hey, if I don’t have clean underwear, isn’t that a much greater punishment?  Yuck.
4. If you see something that needs to be done more than what’s on your list SKIP IT.   For a mom, everything is urgent.  You have to learn to prioritize things that are all a priority, and it’s really tough.  I’ve learned that if I stumble upon something that needs to be done, I’ll just move it to another list, tackle it later that day, or ask my husband to complete that task.  You are only setting out to get this list you made done, and at the time you made the list, those tasks were the ones that stuck out in your head.  You prioritized them without knowing it.
5. Take a second to rest yourself.  While it may not seem like a productive thing to do, rest for us moms is uber important.  We can’t be our best selves if we are sluggish, sleepy, feeling overwhelmed.  Take a second while it’s quiet to breathe, stretch, or have that extra cup of coffee.  Your list will be ready for you when you’re done with your “me” time.  But, set a timer on that too or you’ll end up resting for the entire nap (trust me, I know)!

Well, there ya have it.  These are the ways I try to be more productive when my peanut is sleeping.  I say try because, well, we aren’t perfect.   But we can aim to be the best mom we can be, and I think that’s good enough!

Until next time, ya’ll!

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