Let’s jump into our second week of Encouragement for Moms Part 2. These features come from Empowerhood , a series that originated in our newsletter and is now being turned into a podcast. Each week a mom shares an experience within motherhood that changed them as a mom. It could be a mistake, a crazy birth story, financial difficulty, infertility, loss, abuse, addiction, a career choice, divorce, you name it. We all have a story and putting it out there for others to hear and know they are not alone is truly empowering. There is no shame in struggle, only learning and growth. When the words hit the paper you can let it all go.   We are all in this together. Sign up here to receive these inspiring stories every Monday morning.

If you have a story that could encourage and help other mamas, please reach out to me. I tell each of my moms; you do not have to be a writer, have the correct grammar, be famous or an influencer. Being you, and telling your unique experience is important! Just say what feels true in your heart, what might feel hard to put out into the world. The hard things always set us free.

Encouragement for moms this week

Lauren Taddei is the feature for this week. Lauren is a mama to 8-month old Tripp, a wife, and small business owner. She is a boundary boss and incredible at staying true to herself and her values. Lauren’s honesty is uplifting as she navigates new territories of balancing her time between being a mom and owning a business. I adore her crystal clear advice, and her ability to be intensely present in each role in her life. Enjoy friends!

Lauren’s Story…Put.Down.The. Phone.

With that being said, I am constantly being pulled in every which way, my phone(s!!!) being glued to my side… well what if they need me? What if something happens at the salon? What if I miss a call? And don’t even get me started about social media – the necessary evil. All while I have these big, beautiful brown eyes looking up at me. Tripp, my sweet, sweet 7 month old, perfectly imperfect baby boy looking to me to be Mama. And in that moment, nothing else matters. Nothing. I don’t want Tripp to see me nose deep in my phone. I never ever want him to feel like he is alone. The second your mind leaves the moment, you’re missing out. It was time for me to wake up and be present. Everything else can wait.

September 1, 2022

September 1, 2022 was the day my life changed, for the better. Nothing else mattered in that point in time. My husband, Mike and I, were introduced to a love that we never knew existed. Over the 12 weeks of my maternity leave (unpaid might I add…), my entire perspective changed. An event like delivering your baby is what feels like an out of body experience, it is larger than you – you’re bringing life into this world! What’s wild is that society had almost conditioned me into thinking that taking 6 weeks was enough. 6 short weeks – are you joking? I think Megan actually looked at me and was like “no Lauren, take the time.” And I knew there was good reason behind her saying no. And she was right. I have no idea how I could have gone back, after just 6 weeks, but that is entirely different blog post that I could go on a fiery tangent about; for now, I will continue telling a little part of my journey so far as a Mom as a small business owner.

Boundaries as a new mom and business owner.

I never really understood how other Moms could hold such strong boundaries, especially as small business owners. After all, this is our livelihood. And I thought about this a lot. I thought to myself, you can view it as strong boundaries, or where your priorities lie. I am all about strong boundaries, but this is different. What are your priorities? I thought about this. Over and over again. My career is so important to me. I told Mike that my biggest fear is being labeled…or more so, put in a category of “Mom.” No. I am Lauren Elizabeth Taddei. I am who I am, first. And that is what makes me such a great mother, partner, daughter, business owner, friend, etc. Don’t let social media tell you otherwise. Be careful of the mindless scroll. The deep, dark depths of social media can suck you in and convince you that you aren’t doing enough.

You are. You are the best mom to your child, and don’t ever forget that. I remind myself every day.Finding balance through every version of myself (mama, partner, business owner) has been quite the journey so far. I don’t want to think of it as a struggle, but more like a work in progress – after all, we are human; constantly evolving, learning and adapting.

Advice to take with you.

When I get home, Tripp gets my full attention. It hurts that there are some nights where I don’t even get to see him because he is already in bed when I get home. I take so much pride in my work, but itcan’t and shouldn’t always come first– being present is priceless. The questions that I mentioned in the very beginning, well what if “they” need me? “They” can wait. The salon, for me, and for you, whatever your work is, can wait.

Don’t forget to ask for help. Delegate. And remember that “no” is a full sentence. Change is hard, and in this new walk of life, keep it simple. With all this said, set aside time to do what makes you, you. The work in progress is finding balance, but it is never going to be a perfect equation. When life gets heavy, remind yourself of Occam’s razor – with all things being created equal, the simplest solution tends to be the right one. Don’t complicate it, our babies are only this age once. The world can wait. Put. The. Phone. Down.

Love,

Lauren

Exciting new things coming soon!

We have some exciting news coming soon! Keep an eye out and in the meantime stayed tuned on the blog each week for inspiration, children’s and women’s health tips. If you loved Lauren’s story you can read Part 1 here.

Is your family experiencing sleep difficulties? Are you ready to get your health back on track after becoming a mom? Reach out to schedule your free call! We would love to meet and connect with you.

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