GAIA bathtime: Spiritual Parenting 2

HELP - MY MUM IS A BUSINESS MUM!

Mummy on the phone

Dear Gaia girls, my name is Mika and I am lately concerned about my mum. She goes away from home often. Also I caught her sneaking off with the phone and computer as soon as she thinks I´m asleep. In addition I notice that she takes me to hang out at all sorts of unusual places. Can you please help, I don´t know what´s going on, do you think she is cheating on me perhaps with another baby?

Mika Melwani-Ticha, 11 moths old

Dear Mika,

The salesman training on the GAIA stall with Rosa at Sa Sagrera
this summer

I am suspecting that your mum is one of these modern working business mums. Now even though you are probably worried about your time together, I have some good news for you. Doing something she really loves keeps her happy and full of passion for life! And think about all the cool stuff you have already done – study trip to Thailand, setting up spa days and TV shooting at GAIA finca, trekking in the mountains and collecting herbs. And when she is too busy with her clients, you get to hang out in the fragrant GAIA bathtime, make friends in the barrio and have some very special time alone with your daddy. And let´s be honest a little time away makes you both LOVE even more what you have in each other.

Blanca Ticha, GAIA´s residential therapist

GAIA love - Mika with Trudi
at the GAIA finca

So dear ladies stay true to your favourite things in the world - anything that makes you feel vibrant and happy will do. Is it your work? Well, then consider going back asap or never stop!? Just because now you have a child, do not give up on the things that make you YOU. Teach your baby to enjoy doing adult things together with you right from the beginning– whether it is work or some of your hobbies. And every now and then DO leave him/her behind. You may be surprised to hear that many NEW FATHERS secretly LONG FOR “unsupervised” time with their new baby and sadly sometimes never get a chance. As each of us is very different, dealing with the varied company and activities is a great mental stimulation for the little ones. Keep reminding yourself who are you really beyond the role of a mother and wife. Don´t be scared to follow your callings, your baby will be the first one to notice and benefit from your self-fulfilment.

WORKING MUM HAZARDS:

It is not always easy. Let me share with you few hardships of mothering and working that I know intimately myself. DO SHARE WITH US what is working motherhood like for you, if you find some time...of course.

CAMERA ON! IB3 at GAIA finca this August

WELL DONE mummy!

WRONG TIMING - be warned the VERY IMPORTANT business calls never come in convenient moments, more like when you have baby poop on your hand. Busy time hits when baby ill or teething, these are the times to bite your tongue and somehow power through it without messing up. In my case the arrival of baby coincided with our most challenging spa projects and busiest season ever. “When God wants to punish you, he gives you what you want”, I thought...

SLACKING ON NUTRITION – nobody ever benefits from cheating in this region, you have TRIPLE RESPONSIBILITY to be in your best state – pamper yourself for YOURSELF, YOUR MAN and YOUR BABY. They will all appreciate and love GLOWING YOU not an exhausted wreck. I have finally in my thirties adopted into my kitchen cabinet all the good natural supplements and vitamins – propolis loaded with vitamins B does magic to ones energy levels. I am also convinced that at one point VITAMINOR´s Multivitamin formula have restored my dramatically thinning hair to its former glory. Remember one too many COFFEES and CHOCOLATES can only take you this far.

Family camping - LIKE!

LACK OF QUALITY FAMILY time – I confess to stressed domestic rows with my man about who is doing more etc. and for wanting recognition for my amazing “working mum achievements.” Waste of time, men really are from Mars sometimes, once you two become parents, you are both be outdoing yourselves in your own ways.. Simply make a point of having nice time that is just for you. Going away to nature, sleeping on the beach and rolling in the sand – is our all time favourite stress management technique.

”WATCH THAT DRESS!”- do screen your professional outfits for baby vomit and mushed food stains, only fellow mums will view the failure to do so with sympathy

KNOW WHEN IT IS TIME TO STOP – there is no shame in copping out when it all gets too much, I found out the hard way that there is no gain in testing your family´s patience with being a stress cadet about work deadlines.

FAILURE TO ORGANIZE yourself and others – the pressure in ON - if you do a lot, there is more that can go wrong. Get yourself a pretty agenda and review and reconfirm all your appointments and tasks first thing in the morning and at night before going to sleep. You always need to know what is the exact minimum that you need get done without jeopardizing your job or business. My tip – learn from the star CEOs – DELEGATE WELL – help all around you to HELP YOU with tasks that needn´t be done by you alone. I was amazed how willing are all my workmates and friends to help. Take “MIKA THURSDAY” as example, we have a rota for taking turns in babysitting Mika during my Thursday´s evening yoga class. Thanks to fantastic volunteers!

Exhausted by business lunching with Trudi,
Astrid Reinbacher - our GAIA designer and
Paul O' Mealy - linguistic specialist

CHRONIC EXHAUSTION – being mum IS HARD, being working mum is the challenge of a lifetime that will convert you into bullet proof SUPERWOMAN or...break you. At times the juggling and multitasking will drain all remaining mental power and energy, and make you want to weep on the floor with exhaustion. One must BE REALISTIC – make yourself an ideal job list for the day and then REDUCE it by HALF or more, to be able to still love YOUR JOB and YOURSELF by the end of day

Are you asking yourself now, could I ever cope with this? The answer is YES and again YES!

Let me finish with a quote about the transforming effects of childbirth from our latest GAIA favourite book – "How to be a Woman" by Caitlin Moran.

“To be frank, childbirth gives a woman gigantic set of balls...Off their faces with euphoria, and bucked by how brave they were, new mothers finally tell the in-laws to back off, dye their hair red, get driving lessons, go self-employed, learn to use a drill, experiment with Thai condiments, and stop being scared of the dark”...

PS: Well, I may have super balls now, but it still took me 2 months to write this. I think the empowerment and new efficiency somehow only applies to imminent survival tasks.