Some days, are harder than others. You wonder how you are going to get the kids through the day and into bed without losing it. You are juggling so much. Moms who are also running businesses along with leading their homes can really struggle with trying to live up to the highlight reels posted on social media or dealing with the “mom guilt”.

When you started your company or side hustle, it may have been so that you could spend that extra quality time with your child by working from home or to have extra cash to spend in your family budget. Yet, there are days that can become frustrating with trying to get through To Do Lists with the kids causing chaos in the background.

I just launched an impactful book with lead author Angela Bell and 15 other amazing Mompreneurs. The anthology Mom Magic Mompreneur is full of authentic stories that inspire and motivate. I wanted to give you five tips for being the best version of yourself as a Mompreneur that were reinforced for me when I read the this new International Bestselling book. Couldn’t we all could use a Mom Magic?

1. Have grace with yourself.

There will be difficult days. Mornings when the kids wake up cranky and getting them out the door doesn't go as planned. Times of sickness. Days of irritation. These are the days that you need to extend grace to yourself. Take a little extra time for self-care. Assure yourself that it won’t always be this way, that this a time or season in your life and there are brighter days ahead. Visualize it getting better and imagine a better tomorrow or even hour from this one. Take a deep breath and know in your heart that it is going be alright!

2. Establish a routine that works for you, your family, and your business.

I used to feel guilty about a lot of things. I really reflected on this in a deep way in Mom Magic Mompreneur. But it’s the little surface worries too. Like the fact that my kids didn’t always have homecooked meals because we do a lot more takeout and restaurant food than the average family. And that I prefer to do my writing work in a café rather than in my home office. But I reflect on our little routines now that my kids are teens and see that our ways are right for my family. Often, my high school daughter and I will enjoy our dinner at a restaurant while she studies for her Anatomy Test or Advanced Pre-Calculus Lessons - and at the same time - I will write a chapter for my next book or an article like this one. “Working meals” have become part of our routine. Yes, we put away technology and chat about our days when the food is served; however, this non-traditional way of eating together works for us especially when I end up running the kids to and from extracurricular activities. You set the rhythm and know what works for your family, act accordingly.

3. Involve your children in your work when it is appropriate.

One of our local Italian restaurant owners here in Pittsburgh used to call her kids the “Cabbage Patch Kids”, because when she would be cooking the amazing pasta from scratch, her babies were snuggled up in bassinets created from cabbage crates lined with handmade blankets. I love the stories that are told of children witnessing first hand their parent’s work ethic and taking on small projects within their parent’s businesses. I get my children helping with media mailings, my son takes awesome pictures (some of which have been published in Inspiring Lives Magazine), and my daughter often works with me behind the scene volunteering with my Global Sisterhood charitable works. Think of unique ways that you could involve your children in your work so they can productive and discover first hand how they can be of service to others while spending time with you.

4. Don’t try to live up to the social media image of what a family looks like.

Yes, what you see on social media looks pretty darn perfect for many mothers. Their houses seem spotless. They don’t have bad hair days (let alone hair that is styled with baby food or spit up). They always seem perfect. But they have filters, they have Delete buttons for the bad pics, and they carefully curate their feeds. You don’t need to be them. You just need to be the best version of your children’s mom you can muster up that day. Your imperfect self will be perfect for your very real life and children.

5. Reflect on your own Mom Magic!

What I loved the most about writing Mom Magic Mompreneur with this diverse group of mothers was it gave me pause to reflect on my years as a mom. It is amazing what we can see when looking back. All those mom guilt moments were really preparation for my children to be resilient and stronger for it. The bonding moments that I saw when I looked back at images that I had captured over the years showed true joy in my children’s smiles. I am sure that when you reflect back on your time as a mother whether it has been weeks or decades, you will see that you are vessel of pure Mom Magic!

Take some time to connect with your kids. But, also carve out time for your business (set up with boundaries for clients and your children). If you want to learn and find support from other dedicated mothers like you, pre-order Mom Magic Mompreneur at: https://mommagicshellie.gr8.com/ And most importantly, make time for yourself to reflect, restore, and just be in the magic of your own realness as a great mom!