There’s A Hack For That…
By: Jenny Fleiss
“Can you take me to school, Mommy?”
Pregnant with my third child and wrapping up a morning work call, I was faced with this common question from my daughter, Daniella. My typical response is a combination of how much I want to but can’t this morning because I have a meeting (and then feel overcome with pangs of working mom guilt).
On this particular morning I say, “Why don’t you ever ask your dad?” “Oh, Dad is very busy!” she replies. She is being completely earnest and honest as she says this, though I can’t help but think she must be joking. Am I putting on the world’s greatest act? How can I possibly seem “un-busy” in the midst of exercising, making breakfast, brushing teeth, dressing kids, downloading our nanny, and getting myself ready for work?! Oh, and I’m also growing a human inside my body!
Despite the irony of the situation and some frustration with the deeply-rooted expectations of mom/dad roles that feel hard to shake, I can’t help but think: Maybe I am actually pulling this working mom thing off?! — at least in her mind. At the surface, I’m frustrated by the still undefeated male/female divide, but deep down I’m proud that she knows that, for her, I will make it work.
And to that end, here are my best morning mom hacks:
- Ear plugs (so my husband can hear them wake up first)
- The microwave
- Dance parties count as work-outs
- Dry shampoo
- Going for a run with my husband = a date/time to catch up
- Push-ups with kids on your back = great workout and superfun for them
- Getting things organized the night before in anticipation of the impending crazy
- The Starbucks app to pre-order on the way to school
- Running to school when late also counts as a workout
- Hard boiled eggs and bananas always in stock and at the ready
- Do makeup while waiting for the elevator
- Velcro shoes (which we put on while the elevator goes down)
- Putting jewelry on en route to drop off
- Offering two options when selecting what they wear makes them feel like they got to choose
- Keeping school, home, work all nearby (or as many of them as possible!)
- Pick your battles
- And the biggest hack of all — EMPOWER YOUR HUSBAND.
My husband bears a huge amount of the responsibilities in our home, and it’s what keeps me sane amidst the daily shuffle. This means I must accept some minor disasters on the road to co-parenting. With each diaper bag packed, one fewer thing is forgotten. With each playground visit, one fewer scrape.
We are our own toughest critics. As a mom, there’s an inevitable tug of guilt pulling me towards doing drop offs, reading class books, cooking for bake sales, planning birthday parties, and making lunches — no matter how much work I have in front of me. Because deep down, I fear the day when she stops asking me “Can you take me to school, Mommy?”
About the Author
Jenny recently started code eight, the first portfolio company within Walmart’s startup incubator. As CEO and Co-Founder of code eight, she leads a team focused on developing highly-personalized, one-to-one shopping experiences. Jenny Co-Founded Rent the Runway, a business that has transformed the retail industry by making designer clothing rentals a convenient and accessible luxury experience for millions of women.
Jenny earned her MBA from Harvard Business School and graduated Cum Laude from Yale University. She is Co-founder of the RTR Foundation, a proud advisor to several female-founded start-ups, serves on the advisory board of the HBS Startup Studio and is a guest lecturer at Yale, Princeton, NYU, Columbia and Harvard Business School. She currently resides in New York City with her husband and three children.
Brain Freeze is a series of stories by parents that celebrates the candid moments in which their children ask the most unexpected questions. The series is sponsored by Chloe’s Fruit, a brand of frozen treats made from only three ingredients: fruit, water, and a touch of organic cane sugar.
