Five basic Lessons every mum should carry in 2017

With the New Year comes a time to reflect and reevaluate and do things differently to get better results. It is a time for starting afresh with renewed hope that things will get better.

I feel resolutions too enslaving. They put unnecessary pressure on me, which in turn robs me the joy to live like a free bird. While I do not subscribe to those distressing fitness resolutions like losing 20 kilos in a month, I like to borrow vital lessons from the previous year, which will make the New Year more fulfilling and bearable.

In the spirit of new beginnings, today I will share a few lessons mothers can carry into 2017.

Prioritizing:

As a mother whose every second matters, if you want to make 2017 more fruitful and purposeful, the trick is to master the art of prioritizing. Time is so precious, every second counts so focus on the things that deserve your energy and turn your back on time wasters.

For me this year, I want to focus on nurturing relationships especially with family and friends. I am thinking more dinner and lunch dates with my girlfriends and get-togethers with family.

Saving for a rainy day:

In the classic book The Richest Man in Babylon, the author George S Clason reminds us the importance of paying yourself before paying other crucial parties that deserve a stake in your harvest. Many a times, we pay the tax man, landlord, water and electricity man yet forget about ourselves despite the fact that we are the main investment.

Toxic friends:

 This year, there is no need to pretend that you like that irritating Phoebe yet she makes you sick to the bone because of the negative energy she oozes. This is the time to drop that friend who adds nothing to your life save for misery and stress.

You would rather have two solid friends who you can call at 3am when you are so stressed you can’t sleep, rather than having 20 friends who abandon you at your hour of need.

Know your child’s teacher:

Do you know your child’s teacher? Other than her name, what else do you know about her? Is she a mother like you, is she married? It is always a wise move to develop a relationship with the individual who has been entrusted with the academic development of your child for that year.

 I do not mean you bribe her, but by going out of your way to connect with him or her, you are doing your child well because this gesture will be reciprocated to them.

Basic courtesy:

There is nothing unsightly as a rude and ungrateful mother. Because of the fact that we are our children’s role models, we ought to espouse good manners which the children will in turn emulate like saying “thank you” and “please”. Have a happy New Year.