This kid right here is laser focused! Nothing else is on his mind except one thing. “That yummy ice cream is heading straight for my mouth and I am going to enjoy every bit of it.” Good for him! Good for him that he can stay focused and focus on one thing without any distractions getting in his way.

That might not be the case for you, mom. You might be in this phase of motherhood where staying focused on one task is far from reality.

There are many days when I feel like my head keeps turning from one child to the next. My oldest wants me to watch her do a cartwheel. My second wants me to help her cut a piece of paper out of her coloring book. My third is crying and wants me to pick her up after she tripped over a toy. And my youngest has rolled off the rug and onto the hard laminate floor and is now crying because she’s so far away from her toys.

Which kid do I focus on first? Which kid gets my attention? Oops, I left the casserole in the oven too long and the timer has been beeping for an extra five minutes but I completely put my focus on the kids instead (and also the crying drowned out the beeping noise).  Sorry, hubby, dinner is burnt today. I’ll try again tomorrow to make a normal dinner.

So obviously the kids get priority over the food, that’s a no- brainer. But, in all seriousness, who do I focus my attention on first and for how long? This is something that I tend to struggle with some times especially with 4 littles ones (5 years and younger).

What really helps me stay focused is knowing what lies ahead in 5 minutes time. Yeah, it might all seem like my mind is in a big fog for a little while, but staying focused on what lies ahead gets me through chaotic moments like these.

Once I pick up my crying 2 year old, console her and check for boo-boos, I know she will be just fine. Time to move on to the next one. Quickly swoop up the infant and place her even further into the middle of the rug so that she is less likely to roll onto the hard floor the next time. Five seconds and DONE! Next, start cutting the coloring book for my 3 year old just the way she likes it and ask my 5 year old to get ready do 3 cartwheels in a row! Now I am done cutting and ready to focus on some awesome fun-filled cartwheels. Five minutes have passed by and all children have been accounted for!

Yeah, in that moment you might lose focus, get overwhelmed and want to go hide in the pantry closet, or maybe you can just say to yourself “I can do this”. Stay focused on one thing at a time and tell yourself it will be over in a matter of minutes. It will eventually get better!

Keep Smiling,

Dr. Jena Bradley, DPT