Mom on a Mission

Monday, October 19, 2015

Muffins with Mom – 3 Ways to handle distractions

Has there been a project you’ve wanted to complete, but you can’t seem to find the time to do it? When you finally make time to work on your project, something comes up. Distractions.

Distractions manifest themselves in many ways, some can be humorous while others leave you with a feeling of frustration. The other day while at my son’s high school football game, I fell prey to a storm of distractions.

As the announcer made calls of “pass complete” and “first down and 10”, there were other calls coming from the stands. “Cotton candy $3” and “Get your 50/50 raffle tickets.” And that was just the beginning of my distractions.

The game continued, the announcements continued, “Verges on the tackle.” Then from a child in the stands, “Look at that feather in the air.” The child wasn’t talking to me, but I looked up anyway. Sure enough there was a feather drifting through the air and then another right behind it. Some of the students were wearing feather boas as part of a theme.

The distractions I experienced at the football game were simple ones that can be anticipated at a game. However, there are other distractions that require a little planning to ease frustration.

Below are three ways to handle distractions

1. Persevere – this requires tenacity; stick to your task until you achieve what you set out to achieve. Perseverance may look different for each one of us. It could mean praying your way through a situation, setting goals and scheduling deliberate time to make something happen.

2. Schedule time for yourself – if you are a busy parent this will mean creating stolen moments. If your child is involved in after school activities, use this time to set goals, create a plan or just unwind with a book. When you schedule frequent time for yourself, unexpected distractions are easier to handle.

3. Look for small successes that lead to big gains – set small attainable (and measurable) goals along the way to a larger goal. Celebrate your small accomplishments which aid in building confidence and moves you forward to larger accomplishments.

Bonus

4. Slow down – often busyness is a form of distraction. We pack our schedules so tight that we have an event/activity to attend every other day. Reevaluate how you spend your time. It is ok to say ‘No’ to some requests of your time.

If you’re distracted during you’re an event your child participates in, chalk it up to being part of the territory. For other distractions, devise a plan.

How do you handle distractions?

Friday, October 16, 2015

Fun Friday – A friend in need

photo credit

Have you ever heard the adage, a friend in need is a friend in deed? Well, the other day, I was called to the aid of a friend (almost). It was a warm breezy day…

My friend and I were wearing dresses as we walked to the car after a shopping trip. Suddenly, a gust of wind engulfed us. I grabbed the edges of my dress to keep it down, my friend reached for her head.

She said, “Whew, I thought my wig was going to blow off.”

I told my friend, “No need to worry, I would have helped you retrieve it. Even if it was blowing down the street like a tumbleweed. However, you may have had to wait until I picked myself up off the ground from laughing.”

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

On a different wind day several states away, my college son had a friend in need experience. During a visit to the school library, my son sat with headphones on as he worked. When he was ready to leave, he shoved his books into his backpack and made his way to the stairwell.

As my son entered the third floor stairwell, an alarm sounded, he looked around, but kept walking. As he approached the second floor, the alarm rang more, sounding like an evacuation siren. Suddenly, a student ran from a library door, pointing at my son and shouting, “Stop him he’s stealing.”

Not knowing what to do, my son kept going until he reached the first floor. I asked my son, “Why was the guy yelling at you? Were you taking books?”

My son said, “I had four library books that I was reading and stuffed in my bag with everything else and forgot to check them out.”

“Were the books a rare collection of Shakespeare, Huck Finn, or some other classic?” I asked.

“No Ma, the books didn’t even have a cover, it was just something I wanted to read. I was rushing to get to class and forgot to check them out.”

Between the screaming student and the screaming alarm, my son figured out he was the cause of all the commotion. He could have used the aid of a friend at the moment.

As the situation deescalated, my son slinked over to the circulation desk to check out, the battered and torn library books that he wanted to read.

My son and my friend both survived their windy day experiences with hair and ego intact.

Have you ever experienced a friend in need situation? Perhaps you were the friend who needed rescuing.