Encouragement for the Disorganized Mom

I will be the first to admit that I am a disorganized mom.

Recently I told a friend that I have been trying to “get my ducks in a group.” 

I’ve abandoned the idea of ever having them in a row. I love and respect all my mom friends who are organized and tidy. I am in awe of them, similar to how I am in awe of famous paintings or museum artifacts. The idea of being as organized and orderly as they are is just that foreign to me. 

Humor me for a minute, and think back to the modern holiday classic film, Elf. Remember Buddy tirelessly making toys for hours on end in Santa’s workshop? He was so ashamed to admit that he had only made “85 etch-a-sketches” that day, putting him “915 off the pace”.

Buddy and I? We get each other.

I can’t tell you how often I want to gather up my piles of unread mail, unfolded laundry, and underutilized planners, shove them away and say to all the other moms, “Why don’t you just say it? I’m the least-organized mom in the world. I’m a Cotton-Headed Ninnymuggins!”

Now, before you jump in to soothe my troubled soul with reminders that it’s okay! I just have different talents. Special talents! Let me assure you, that at the ripe old age of thirty-eight, I have accepted the fact that I cannot excel at everything. I am thankful for the ways I am gifted, and I enjoy doing what I can with my talents.

Still, it does not matter how good I am at knitting, sewing, or piping lovely buttercream swirls onto the perfect cupcake! Those talents aren’t going to make my laundry fold itself, or keep me from spacing off my son’s end-of-year music performance.  

Finding Order

My family and I need SOME level of order and routine in order to maintain a warm, secure and healthy home.

Even if my husband was more naturally organized than I am (he is) and willing to take the lead in bringing order to our life (he would), my commitment to the same mission is vital. If I’m not willing to work toward a more orderly life for our family, then it simply won’t happen.

I’m not perfect, but I’m committed to growing in this area. Also, I know I can’t be the only one out there who struggles in this way.  

Are you disorganized? 

To you, my fellow Cotton-Headed Ninnymugginses Free-Spirited Moms: let me cheer you on and remind you of some things I often need to tell myself:

• Small changes often have big impact. Don’t expect yourself to become Mary Poppins overnight…or ever. Start with one or two little habit changes. They might improve your quality of life in a big way.
• New habits are there to help you, not force you to follow arbitrary rules. Don’t impose rigid expectations on yourself or your family simply because the plan states it should be a certain way. Commitment to a plan is healthy. Enslavement to a plan is not.
• If you fall out of step with a routine that has worked well for a while, be kind to yourself. Don’t consider it a failure if you need to go back to the drawing board. Your organizing mojo might just need a jump start. Or maybe it’s time for a different approach.
• Your naturally organized mom friends are not better than you, nor are they judging you. They could be a wonderful encouragement to you if you’ll let them. Invite one of them over! Put a movie on for your kids, shove the pile of unfolded laundry off your sofa and invite her to sit down. Ask her how she approaches assigning chores to her kids or keeping all her appointments straight. My organized friends get REALLY excited about sharing their tips and hacks. It’s adorable.

Are you a disorganized mom? I’d love some proof that I’m not alone, so talk to me in the comments!