How to Be a Guilt-free Mom With Author Marc Fair! by Cheryl Leahy

As a parent, have you ever done something just for yourself, only to feel guilty about it? Or maybe you dropped one of the 5 million balls you were juggling and felt guilty you let something (or someone) down? Time to STOP feeling guilty and TILT instead! This week’s 30Second Mom expert is Marci Fair and she will be helping us become guilt-free moms!

Marci is a wife, mom of four and friend who has worked in real estate for more than 20 years. She founded Kares4Kids.com, which has served more than 15,000 children since 2005. Her book “TILT: 7 Solutions to be a Guilt-free Working Mom” launches this week! Read our interview with Marci:

Q: There are a lot of things we feel guilty about as a moms! How can you possibly be a guilt-free mom?

TILT: 7 Solutions to be a Guilt-free Working Mom

A: To be a guilt-free mom we can choose to focus on fewer responsibilities and do those things well instead of trying to do too much. To be a guilt-free mom, we can plan the important things on our calendar ahead of time, so they are not missed. To be a guilt-free mom, we can decide with our family what matters most and be sure we do those things first.

Q: As moms, we are often too tired to think. “All I can dream about is sleep,” we say. How can I have any goals for myself?

A: We do not have to have a ton of goals to feel good. Choose one or two that are important and make those happen to be a guilt-free mom! With some goals for ourselves, we can feel more fulfilled and satisfied on our motherhood and life. To be a guilt-free mom when we work towards our goals, we also help and teach our children how to so the same for themselves.

Q: What are some time-saving tips to help manage having so much to do, so I don’t feel guilty?

A: Time management is a big stress reliever to be a guilt-free mom. Plan out your day, so you can get the important things done. Don’t let emails and voicemails eat up all your time. Only check them one or two times a day. To manage your time as a guilt-free mom, don’t run errands every day. Limit them to one or two times per week and shop online to save time!

Q: How can moms keep a good perspective and attitude as guilt-free moms with all that we juggle?

A: Know that “kid-things” happen! Re-focus your priorities when they do and don’t let yourself get discouraged. Read inspiring books and quotes on a regular basis (daily!) to be sure as a guilt-free mom that we have a good perspective and attitude. Keep a gratitude journal and write down one thing each day that you are thankful for!

Q: These years pass quickly; stress today can become sadness tomorrow. How do we enjoy the stages we are in?

A: Today they ask us to color, play tea party or swing at the park, more than we can. Choose a couple, while they still want to. Play online games – together! We can interact, talk and understand what they are playing. There are so many fun online games to play together: Jumpstart, Monkeyquest, BellaSara, Lego, American Girl and more!

Q: Moms may worry that we don’t know how to help our children with their next stage in life. What can we do to prepare?

A: We cannot know it all, so we need to seek help from others, especially moms like us. We can ask moms whose children are older than ours, to find out how they got through the next stage. To be a guilt-free mom, we can partner with our children to learn the next stages together. They can help, research and learn with us!

Learn more about Marci by reading her tips on 30Second Mom, following her on Twitter, and checking out the site for her new book!