Parenting Sites 411

Yesterday was the one month anniversary of the last day at my job. So that makes today as the one month anniversary of me being a full time stay at home mom. I’m the type of person who gets a bit retrospective when these kinds of anniversaries crop up (I was a wreck before my 30th birthday).

This past month has been… well, I don’t think one word can summarize that month that I have had. I accomplished a few projects, I nursed a sick child for one week, I did umpteen loads of laundry, and I started shopping for a new couch.

Unfortunately for me, I have a hard time looking at everything good that happened (item number one: spent more time with my son!) and I look around and see everything that I haven’t accomplished. There is a chaos of papers on my buffet, the computer desk is a wreck, and I can’t seem to get a handle on keeping a clean kitchen. I’m getting better at actually cooking dinner and getting it on the table soon after my husband comes home (it helps when he IMs me to tell me he is on his way), but I feel like this uneasy sense of dread just trying to figure out what the family will actually eat for dinner.

There is also a phrase that I dread my husband saying to me at some point during this SAHM career- “What do you do all day?” I feel like most of my time needs to be accounted in some way. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with figuring out the blogging and home life balance. And I need to pay attention to what I actually do all day.

Time management applies to all walks of life- the high powered executive on the 10th floor of some corporation to the bus driver who keeps his/ her route running on time. I keep thinking that I need some time management skills refresher course to keep track and accomplish what needs to be accomplished.

That is where Mommy Track’d comes in. I love this site because it has so many helpful resources on keeping the sanity.The site originated as a site specifically for women who remain in the workforce after children enter their lives. But really, I see it as a site for all parents who are struggling to keep it together.

There are articles on hot topics (I love this article on kids and the TV) and a survival guide featuring articles ranging from organization to making meals quickly. There is a great section dedicated to recommending topical books (for parents and kids). Mommy Track’d also features message boards where parents can come together to share their frustrations, advice, and support for one another.

The In the Spotlight feature might be my favorite feature. I really enjoy reading interviews of other people and seeing their solutions for their lives.

Today I plan on taking time to actually list out what I want to accomplish and seeing if I can at least move some of the filing to the actual file cabinet. And then on our todo list is more finger painting.

Happy One Month of SAHM to me!