The Jozi WAHM's Guide to Everything: Keeping on Top Of Being Supermom

Being a mom of younger children going to school or crèche means that, like it or not, besides your normal day job and seeing to your home, you also have an additional PA role.

Let’s face it, smaller children would leave their own heads behind if it was not screwed on so it is up to the parents (read in, the mom) to make sure that the right books are packed, that clothes for various extra activities are packed and that nobody forgets bakersman, an outfit for some or other fantasy dress up day (and there is always a dress up day) or show and tell.

I sort of have a system in place. I know that on Monday’s, Noodle needs to take an object starting with a certain letter and that Squish needs a book on Tuesdays. However, try as you may, surprises will always be sprung on you. Take last week for example. We thought we had spring day sorted- a plant for Squish to plant (as requested by his teachers) and lovely spring day outfits packed out the night before. Spring day arrived and I was super pleased with myself as it was seven a.m. and both kids were dressed and having breakfast- perhaps we would make it on time for a change! No such luck. Halfway through breakfast, Noodle pipes up “Don’t forget that we have a picnic today and we need to take picnic blankets and snacks for the entire class”. This was the first I was hearing of any picnic so had to spring into emergency action.

Then late last night, when Noodle was sound asleep, her class Watsapp group came to life, mommies scrambling to find out what was required for today’s homework. Now, Noodle did not mention anything about homework yesterday (it is very rare that they have homework per se). Which meant that this morning, during breakfast, she was scrambling to put something together.

As my children get older, I do expect them to take more responsibility for remembering their own stuff but for now, they are just too young.

So here are my ideas for keeping on top of being a super mom:

Keep a monthly calendar on the fridge with everyone’s weekly schedules and what has to be packed for each day.
Pack lunches the night before and refrigerate.
Have an emergency stationary stash. Ensure that at all times, you have a supply of coloured cardboard, markers and glitter glue. Keep this in one place, together with scissors, glue and tape.
ALWAYS have an emergency stash of quick baking ingredients, for example a cupcake mix. Oh and keep an eggless recipe on hand because chances are that when a mommy emergency crops up, it will be 10 p.m. and you will be out of eggs.
If your child has to take a set amount of money each week for bakersman or some similar activity, have a stack of coins stashed in a convenient place, already sorted into piles of the right amount so that you are not scrambling to find the exact amount of change during morning rush hour.
If you need to send nappies and spare clothes to nursery school, pack five piles with the right number of each item into individual Ziplock bags over the weekend and then just pop one bag into the bag each day.