As you move and groove in life and embark on motherhood in your 30s, the balancing act of family, career and maintaining your personal brand can become a daunting task.
How does one renew and re-define oneself post mommyhood– at age 37– and still maintain top status in the entertainment industry? By being authentic and forgiving for not being perfect.
Jill Scott, our favorite homegirl, multiplatinum, Grammy award-winning singer, poet, author, actress– and now mommy–shares how she balances and enjoys life’s golden moments. “Being a mom is better than I thought because of the way I love it and experience how much my son loves me. I wouldn’t trade it, however, its work and exhausting.â€
Scott stresses the importance of having a good support system when raising children. “All women must implement what I call their Operation Village. This is where you assemble your team of family, friends, neighbors and girlfriends to give you a hand and minute to heal. Without my village I would not have made it,†she says.
Balance is one of those words that all woman grapple with and allowing yourself to be human is key to understanding the gift of motherhood. “Women feel like they are supposed to hold it down — that’s true to an extent; holding it down does not mean doing it all yourself. Look for people who love and trust you and love your child. You will need time for a walk, replenish your being, and adjust to all the nuances of the mommy-hood. Next to maintaining good health it is essential and mandatory to establish your village for support, ” Scott says.
Mommyhood can present older first time moms with a reality check when schedules are no longer theirs and we can easily lose ourselves post delivery. Jill emphatically shares, “I’ve always done what I wanted to do — If I want to walk, I walk; after 37 years of doing Jill, having a baby threw me — responsibility, sleep deprivation, and exhaustion was r-e-a-l. If you can afford to hire help such as a babysitter and nanny — give yourself that gift — your baby will thank you.â€
Here are Jill Scott’s ‘brand’ new mommy tips:
Know thyself. I am a sleeper and if I can squeeze in 10 hours I am happy. Take charge and put your baby on a regiment so you can breathe.
Work out. You will feel better and get your body back.
Make love. The physical connection reminds you that you are still a woman and a sexual being and that is equally important as being someone’s mommy.
Take time for self. Get out the house and enjoy life — your baby will appreciate a calmer mommy.
Give self a lift. Change hair, change makeup and style to usher in the mommy-hood season.
Forgive self. We are not perfect, and because you want to enjoy life does not mean you are not a good mom — you are a wo-man and must be cherished.
Let me know what you did to renew and redefine your self after mommyhood. Is your Operation Village in full effect?
Jill Scott is currently co-headlining Maxwell’s spring/summer tour and is scheduled to perform at Lilith Fair. Her fourth studio album, “The Light of The Sun,†is scheduled for a late fall release. She also stars in Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married Too?,†still in theaters, and her critically acclaimed BBC/HBO show, “The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency,†goes back into production in late 2010.
Karen Taylor Bass, The PR Expert, provides entrepreneurs, corporations, and mompreneurs with essential branding, marketing, and public relations coaching; www.karentaylorbass.com and www.taylormademediapr.com. Follow Karen’s tips and Caviar & Chitlins moments at Twitter, twitter.com/prexpert.