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How Moms Can Make a Difference
By Molly Gold of GO MOM! Inc

Fall traditionally finds families submerged in their own schedules, often still trying to settle into new routines the school year has introduced.  Some Moms are naturals at when it comes to taking control of their time to make a difference outside of their own families.   However, this fall, our nation is suffering one of the worst economic downturns anyone can recall while we continue to fight a war that divides us on the best of days.  Thus, we are surrounded with daily reminders that our lives as we’ve constructed them can be dismantled literally overnight, leaving us to pick up the pieces and start from scratch after the loss of a job, a foreclosure, or worse still the loss of a loved one.   The end result of that prevailing sense of danger can be a lack of action, simply a paralyzed approach to charitable works while we wait to see what happens.

So how can you resist acting like an ostrich with her head stuck in the sand, waiting for the windstorm to blow past?  Stand up straight and get out there!   One of the best pieces of advice my mother ever gave me is something you’ll hear from a variety of sources  --  all with the same general meaning.  When you think you can’t take it any longer or the pressure is just too much, turn your focus away from your own situation and help someone else.  A selfless act of kindness, charity, resources, or physical assistance can change your outlook more swiftly than anything else you might do.  Why? Because it reminds you that you are part of something far bigger than yourself and it’s the strength of the whole that makes you strong on your own.  That’s what makes a difference in communities and it surely makes all the difference in our own homes every day.  So try our strategies to help you go beyond your family schedules and make an impact in your community.  I can’t think of a more important time than this particular holiday season to stand up straight and look out around your world to see how you can be of help!

•    Trim the Fat  - Pull out your planner and review your family schedules for the next few months.  If you are like most Moms, by the end of September, you are on a roll and already thinking about Halloween, Thanksgiving, and dare I mention Christmas?  All the while, feeling a bit weary from the after school carpool rotation, new homework standards, and perhaps adjusting to an increased workload thanks to a new promotion at work.  Clarify your priorities and with your partner’s support, remove anything that is not essential to the well-being of either yourself or your family members.  Time is precious and must be protected so we may use it wisely.  By keeping your schedule clean and intentional, you make room to do more within your community and make it count.

•    Lead By Example – It goes without saying that charitable opportunities abound and you can almost effortlessly provide an example of community activism by choosing a cause and incorporating it into your schedule.  We challenge you to put your organizational skills to good use and get out in your community now.  Perhaps there is a local Humane Society that needs help scheduling volunteers to work with relocated refugee pets.  Maybe your religious community offers an ongoing drive for donated supplies to send to other communities and needs well-organized volunteers to process paperwork.  Put your take charge attitude to work and give of yourself.  This will shape your family’s perspective by modeling optimism, patriotism, and compassion as you show them how these daily family management skills have a very necessary place in the world around us.
 
•    Include Your Children  – Across the nation, you will find tremendous examples of kids taking matters into their own hands and raising money for children who are now suffering.  Make this effort stick at home by choosing an ongoing opportunity for your family to serve as a group.  From shopping for seniors to making care packages for a local children’s hospital, there are hands-on ways for your children to experience volunteerism first hand with your support and respect.  Your local school is a great place to start, ask for ways to support any budget shortfalls for supplies, or provide support for the arts or literacy programs.  Have a family meeting to discuss possible activities, decide as a group where to put your energy, and then protect that commitment on every calendar you own.  It will make a difference for generations to come…you can bank on it!

GO MOM! Founder Molly Gold is a mother of three and the creator of the GO MOM!® product line, which is produced via license partnership with Mead Westvaco Consumer and Office Products and sold online at www.dayrunner.com and in OfficeMax stores nationwide. Molly is known for her keen insights into Family Scheduling and has been featured both in print and on air. Learn more about Molly at www.GoMomInc.com