Mommy Time Monday: My Mommy Goals

I love being a mommy. I absolutely LOVE it. I have all of these ideals and dreams about being a good mom. I'm not saying I'm a bad mom. But I could be better. I see other moms and wish I could be more like them. Although a lot of my listed goals will help me be a better mom, these are specifically about helping myself to be a better mother.

Plan More Activities Out of the House

I'll admit it, I'm not a huge fan of the outdoors. I don't like bugs or dirt. I don't like being hot or cold. I prefer to stay inside where the temperature is even and I can squash every single bug and vacuum up the dirt. I know my son needs to be exposed to the world outside - and he LOVES it. He loves to just go walk around. So I need to start now, by taking advantage of the SPRING and get used to being outside.

1. Take Andrew outside at least once every day when the weather permits. (This is Utah, we just had snow this last week and it just melted).
2. Get some toys for playing outside.

Plan More Creative Activities at Home

I'm not a person that plans "structured activities" for my 19-month-old. Nothing goes as planned, and he often has meltdowns because he can't do everything himself. The most art that we do is coloring with crayons or Tadoodles. I haven't been brave enough to attempt doing many bigger art projects.

1. I have a set of books that have ideas for activities for toddlers and preschoolers. I need to go through these books and find activities we can actually do.
2. Use the Internet to find appropriate activities
3. Do two bigger creative projects each week.

Research Learning and "Preschool" Type Activities and Do Them

I feel very strongly that much of my child's learning and development should take place in the home, with his parents. This is one reason I want (and am) staying home with him. I want to be the one to teach him! I've even considered homeschooling, depending on our situation. But I shouldn't wait until he's "school age" to start the learning process. I know there are activities and things we can do to help foster a love of learning and help put him on the right track for the rest of his life. This is pretty self-explanatory. I just need to do the research and implement the activities I find.

Set Up Play Dates Once a Month to Create a More Social Environment

I'm definitely an introvert. I dearly love my friends, but it's hard for me to step out of my comfort zone and make new friends. It's even hard for me to try to do activities with my current friends. I guess I don't want to be presumptuous and think that they want to spend time with me. I don't want to be a bother by asking them to do things. Does that make sense. It sounds so silly when I say it that way, but that's how I feel. It's not that I think they should be the one to initiate and maintain the friendship. I just don't want them to feel pressured to see me/us. I know that I don't feel that way when it comes to other people asking to see me, so I should remember that when I think about asking to see other people. If they don't want to see me they'll say no. So what do I have to lose?

1. Start by making play dates with moms I already know that have kids about the same age as my son.
2. Start with one a month, then gradually increase the frequency.
3. Find local mommy groups and join them. If there aren't any, look into starting one.

Do you have any tips for stepping out of your comfort zone? And ideas for finding other mommy groups? Email them to mylifemakover@gmail.com and I might feature them in the future.