Mom Renewal Moms Say Life’s Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets

Inspired by mom and author Lisa Quinn’s message in her new book, “Life’s Too Short To Fold Fitted Sheets: Your Ultimate Guide to Domestic Liberation” contributing writers at The Mom Renewal Project decided to put Lisa’s book to the test.

Moms have united and we are saying enough is enough. Yes, we are saying good is good enough and we are giving up our inner perfectionists (who by the way, are Inner Mean Girls).

Read what the Mom Renewal Project bloggers have to say about domestic liberation…

• Alexandra from Good Day Regular People is stocking her pantry so she’s always prepared
• Daenel from Living Outside the Stacks has the domestic skills of a Stepford wife
• Jenn from My Self Empowerment Coach has some skeletons in her closet
• L Klonsky from Mom’s Crayon agrees that trying to be Martha Stewart-like is a waste of time
• Dawna from A Return To Simplicity is a recovering perfectionist

When my daughter started first grade, we attended parents’ night. It was a time to get the scoop on what was expected of our little girl and to meet her new teacher, Ms. Larson. It was an interesting experience, as Ms. Larson was quite a character. She had an artsy, ethereal presence and seemed a little eccentric, in an absent-minded professor kind of way. About midway through the evening, she surprised us all by placing a large rhinestone crown on top of her head. She said we should all know about her practice of ‘tiara time’. I was all ears.

Tiara time, she said, was the time of the day that was all her own, a time when the children were required to participate in silent, independent study and not allowed to bother her at all. She needed to get certain things done, so when the crown went on, the mouths shut.

She kept it on for the rest of the meeting, and I gotta tell you, I sat up straighter at my little desk. There were some stunned stares and a few grumblings among some of the parents. I, however, got on board immediately. I raced home, jumped on eBay, and bid on the shiniest rhinestone tiara I could find. It arrived 10 days later, and I have never looked back.

In her book, “Women in Overdrive”, Nora Isaacs writes, “We live in a culture where we aren’t encourage, either subtly or overtly, to relax or take time for ourselves.” We need a break occasionally, and we need to not feel guilty about it.

Tiara time is a win-win. The crown is a very positive symbol; it’s regal, for chrissakes. As I wear my shimmering headpiece, it reminds me that I deserve this time. Very much like a Do Not Disturb sign, it alerts my kids that Mommy is not listening to any fighting or tattling during this period, and my husband understands that he is in charge until the crown comes off. There are days when I would like to have it permanently attached, but just feeling like royalty for a few hours a week is a good start toward maintaining my mental health.

FYI: Don’t confuse tiara time with family time. Family time is great, but this is strictly me time-sans kids, sans guilt. There are so many ways you can treat yourself without huge expense or effort. And this does not include sewing the kids’ Halloween costumes or baking brownies for the school bake sale either. These are things to do for yourself. I’ve compiled a list of suggestions below.

So now all you need to do is find a tiara. If you can’t acquire a bejeweled one, a paper crown from Burger King works just fine.

Tiara Time Activities:

• Meet a friend for lunch. Or better yet, happy hour.
• Two words: afternoon delight
• Stretch
• Consider a new hairdo
• Relish the quiet
• Go into your closet and try to come up with new outfits from your old clothes.
• Have tomato soup and grilled cheese in peace.
• Sneak away to a bookstore and read an entire magazine with no interruptions.

What would you do during your tiara time?