Spilling Syrup

When I was in college, I was a hostess at a Shoney’s Restaurant. I loved it. Greet the customer, seat the customer, ring up the customer. Then do it all again. It wasn’t the most mentally stimulating job ever, but I got paid for smiling and it was fun.

Then, I thought I would try my hand at serving. Looked easy enough. Take the order, deliver the food. How hard could it be? Well, let’s just say multi-tasking took on a whole new meaning.

I started slow, with only a few tables. I think about four or five. Suddenly, taking orders, remembering drinks, delivering food (hot), cleaning up the plates, going back to check in. It was all VERY overwhelming. And while I could get a couple things done rather well, I didn’t seem to be able to handle it well with ALL the tables. I may have been able to take the orders just fine, but going back to check on drinks or other needs would fall by the wayside. Or maybe I was able to check in, but had a problem remembering where the food was supposed to go. And then there was the whole issue of balance. I quickly learned that spilling hot pancake syrup on a suede jacket doesn’t add up to a happy boss.

It was tough. I just couldn’t get it all right. Some of it – yes. But not all of it; not all the time.

I have had many days as a mom when I feel like I am back at Shoney’s trying to learn how to be a server. With 5 children, sometimes (more often than not) things fall by the wayside. I may be doing awesome at feeding them breakfast in the morning, but their backpacks sit untouched by maternal hands for weeks. I might get matching shoes on their feet, but socks are another matter. Most of the time they are mismatched. Or I might do well at giving hugs, but stink at following through with discipline.

So often, I feel like multitasking is not my forte. How am I supposed to get child A to finish an assignment, child C to pass off stuff in cub scouts, make dinner, do laundry, patch a scraped elbow, help child B with a friend problem, teach child D to ride his bike, make my bed and get all their teeth brushed at night?

AND (this is key) stay sane through it all?

That is tough for me. I have to accept that not everything is going to be done right all the time. There are going to be times when I spill syrup on a suede jacket – or completely flop as a mom. There are going to be times when I overlook one thing to accomplish another. How do I maintain the balance? How do I push myself to do better and give myself a break at the same time?

So, at the end of a week when I have been too sick to accomplish anything, I find myself battling these little demons of discouragement. All I really want to do is raise happy healthy children, who don’t end up in therapy because of me. Hopefully, they know how much I do love them and see beyond my inability to multitask.