Let the adventure begin!
Hello! My name is Christina, and in February 2020, my son was born, and I became a mother for the first time. I spent several hours during my pregnancy researching products for the baby registry, planning how to set up the nursery, and reading the infamous "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book. I planned on having my family around to help once the baby came. Unfortunately, the world had other plans in mind. As if the transition to motherhood isn't hard enough when you have family to help, two weeks after my son was born, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, and before I knew it, masks, social distancing, and remote work were all anyone was talking about.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, mothers were faced with the immense challenges of balancing work and family life like never before. Many moms had to continue their jobs remotely while also managing their children's education and well-being at home - hello, responsibility overload! Through the pandemic, I personally witnessed several moms become experts at multitasking, juggling Teams meetings while helping with school assignments or soothing crying toddlers. Being a mother is already a demanding role, but being a working mother has become even more strenuous, striving to provide financial stability for their families while also being present for their children during uncertain times. These remarkable moms that I witnessed deserve our sincere admiration and recognition for their unwavering dedication and resilience during this unprecedented era.
I watched some of these women day in and day out while I myself was working full-time and taking care of my infant son. I remember waking up at 5 a.m. for the first feeding cry of the morning and barely able to keep my eyes open, struggling to push through the day, working online or attending Teams calls during each nap my child took, wishing I could be napping too, and then laying my son down for bed only to turn around and log back in online to finish my work for the day and hit the pillow around 2 a.m. It was exhausting. I felt like I was always just reacting to what happened - "Oh, the baby is crying. Is it teething? Hunger? Diaper? Overtired?" My husband would ask “How long can the milk sit out?” “When did we give him Motrin?” “Which one do I give him - Motrin or Tyenol next?” “Why won’t he stop crying?” Some days, I truly didn't know, and I would cry because that is unlike me to not know how to solve a problem. I am a problem solver, and usually help others solve problems.
Before becoming a mother, I was that person who was organized, on time, and focused, and able to handle complex problems at work, so why was I struggling with helping my own child? The answer was simple. I was exhausted and had to admit that I could not handle both worlds alone. I needed help. Of course, my wonderful husband was by my side to help me troubleshoot and soothe our son, and I am forever grateful to have such an amazing partner in life to experience parenthood together with, but the kind of help that I am talking about comes from your village of other mothers who have been there, done that, wiped the paci off the floor with their shirt, stuck it back in the baby's mouth, and kept on walking (thanks for that line, grandma!). You see, the support that I had - my grandma, sister, and mother-in-law - were all far away and following the same social distancing rules that plagued every member of society.
Even though they were not able to be there with me in person - and yes, there were MANY nights of tears and frustration and then many nights of joy and laughter - my group of mothers were there to support me how we knew how. I am forever grateful to my sister and grandmother for all the late-night phone calls. I am forever grateful to my friend Carolyn, who went all around town finding me supplies like diapers, wipes, and hand sanitizer when everyone thought the world was collapsing. I am forever grateful to my friend Holli, who recommended Babywise, sleep training, and baby-led weaning. It was because of Holli's recommendation to try baby-led weaning that led me to a YouTube video on HapaFamily's channel where Ashley talked about Montessori. I remember that night like it was yesterday. I probably watched 10 different videos from her channel on the topic of Montessori - what it was, why she did it, and how she implemented it at home. I watched the video of her little toddler and how independent she was in order to make her own bowl of cereal, how mindful she was to clean up the table behind herself, and how joyful she was to do it all herself and even clean up?! She was only two! I remember telling myself, "Wow! If my son is even half as independent, resourceful, and joyful as this little girl is, then I know I have done a great job as a mother, even in the mess of this chaotic pandemic. That is how I choose to be a mother - present, intentional, engaged, focused, and respectful."
That was the moment I knew I wanted to learn more about Montessori.
