...among others. I have a slew of challenges I've faced as a new (working) mom. How can I make tech work for me and not against my child?
Six months after I gave birth to my daughter, the wonderful women at Women's Conference of Florida asked if I'd be interested in writing a post for their blog. Here is the full version of my lengthy discussion on working mom challenges and how to find solutions. Where would I begin? Along with the joy of motherhood, we face with so many new obstacles.
I narrowed the list down: Energy and technology. How to have more energy and how to use less technology so that I'm not hampering my baby's development.
The "how to have more energy" conundrum was something that my six months post-delivery self had yet to find any workable solutions for. Now that I'm almost a year out, I've got some ideas, which we've talked about more recently in our Maternally Advanced Mama blog. But being aware of my tech use was something I thought I had all figured out six months in. If you're a busy mom, you may not have time to read my original full article, so I've summed it up.
Exercise Self Awareness
Technology is designed to make our lives easier, i.e. more automated. How many times a day do you aimlessly check your phone, looking for likes or texts and then realize you hadn't made the conscious decision to do so? I'm guilty. There are some apps out there to help you recognize and curtail your usage. I'm a little old-fashioned in that I find the use of an app to limit app use too ironic, but you've got to do what works best for you. Another habit that can steer us away from conscious living is too much multi-tasking. Multiple tasks really tax your brain and not in a good way. It doesn't mean that you can't fold laundry and talk on the phone at the same time or pat your head and rub your tummy. But don't try to paint your toenails, run a business meeting on Skype, and bathe the baby all at once.
I also go through a step-by-step plan for setting tech boundaries that work best for you and your family, thus allowing you to be proactive instead of reactive. Here's the funny thing. Jennifer (from Women's Conference of Florida) reached out last week and said they were posting the blog for a #TBT. I re-read it, now six months after I wrote it, and I'm like, "Wow! You've really veered off the path here." So it was a nice personal reminder of the technology/family mission statement I've made for myself. As I mentioned, tech usage is a personal thing. Find what works best for you.
Комментарии