Mothers can have bad days – kids misbehave, work gets on top of you, the house is a dump, your husband is being useless, etc. Mothers often tell me that when they are having a bad day, they think of me and they instantly feel better. The chaos in my life provides them with some comfort in those manic mama moments.

But I have to let you in on a little secret: it’s not that bad. In fact, it’s pretty darn good. Sure, I don’t get a lot of sleep and nights out on the town are few and far between, but that’s what I signed up for when I had six kids.

Between my babies, business and blogging, there are quite a few balls in the air. So the question is often asked about how I manage it all. I could go on and on, but since this is a blog and not a book, I’m keeping it short with just a few little things that are firmly entrenched in my brain that help me get through my busy days.

Keep everything in perspective
When things are hectic at Mabel’s Labels and stress is creeping into our lives, my business partners and I look at each other and remind ourselves of this: We are making labels; we are not saving lives. This is not to downplay how seriously we take our business. If a customer has not received labels on time, that is a dire Mabel 911 situation. Should we let it keep us up at night? Probably not. We’re better off engaging in more proactive responses such as finding out what went wrong and changing our system. Fix the mistake, move on and remember: no one died.

Don’t take your kids so seriously
My kids are kids, not projects. Don’t obsess over whether your kids are academically gifted, going to get MVP or be chosen for the competitive dance team. When my kids grow up, they will be like most others – they’ll get a job. They may become teachers, bricklayers, doctors, bus drivers, parents, whatever. Hopefully they’ll have a fulfilling personal life. I want them to be happy and the best people they can be. Stop taking them so seriously and worrying about what they’ll be later, instead of what they are now.

Don’t take yourself so seriously
You’re a parent, not a miracle worker. You’ll make mistakes and feel crappy about it. So learn from it and move right along. Dwelling is pointless. Sometimes as you try to balance all your roles, you’ll notice everything becoming unaligned – several balls you are juggling come crashing down at once. On those days, order pizza, give the kids bowls of cereal for dinner, let them watch too much TV or go to bed without brushing their teeth. I think they will be OK if they don’t have veggies with dinner two nights in a row. No one is going to turn you into the bad mother police for letting the kids eat hotdogs off their laps on the family room couch. While they’re doing that, for goodness’ sake, go get yourself a well deserved glass of wine!

So this Mother’s Day, give yourself an invaluable Mother’s Day gift. A healthy dose of perspective will make you happier than a dozen roses or new pair of earrings ever will.

Mabel’s Labels Marketing Dept. is looking for a summer intern: someone who is crafty, quick and reliable. Interested? Send us a short creative video or story to intern@mabel.ca telling us why we should hire you. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, May 12.

So you’ve switched out the seasonal clothes and you have a donation bin but you still aren’t quite happy with how your closet is working for you. It’s still missing some of that organizational flair!

Look no further than your hangers! If you’re still sporting wire hangers, those should be the first to go. In my honest opinion they are not to be used for the long-term so send ‘em back to the dry cleaners! Wire hangers will make a closet look disorganized no matter which way you look at them.

Instead opt for plain tube hangers and stick to one color. I know some of you might want one color for business, one color for casual and so on but that might be adding more headache than it’s worth. Stick to something simple and if you really want an organized look, go all out and get wood hangers for a sophisticated looking closet!

Remember when your mom used to sew labels into your clothes before camp?
We do. So we designed peel and stick labels for everything that goes to camp. Priced at $34, our Camp Pack has all the labels you’ll need for clothes and other gear. It’s the same sweet labeling tradition but, thanks to Mabel, is just a lot easier on mom.

Think of us as your getting-ready-for-camp counsellors! Call or email your personal camp expert today.

My child gets so possessive of his toys when we’re around other kids. How much should I be encouraging him to share?

Whether they’re around siblings, daycare buddies or just the occasional trip to the park, suddenly your little one is wising up to the fact that it’s time to start staking out his territory. Even the abandoned dump truck he rarely plays with starts to look a lot more appealing as soon as another child picks it up. After all, the grass is always greener in somebody else’s playpen!

Move off your home turf: If you often have kids over for playdates, try and balance it out a bit by getting out to friends’ houses. Your child will feel less resentful of having to give up his favourite toys if he gets a chance to play with somebody else’s for a change.

Look on the bright side: It can be tough for a toddler to see any of the merits of giving up their toys. Say something like: “Look how happy you’ve made your friend by sharing? See how happy he is?” Focus the attention away from their disappointment and encourage your child to feel proud of his part in the positive outcome.

Nanny Carrie’s Tip: Let them have their favourite toys/security objects that are off limits to friends and siblings. But if they start claiming that every toy in the playroom is their most prized possession then make a rule: ‘Either keep it up in your room, or hold onto it, but if it’s lying around on the floor, it’s fair game.’