Manic Moms’ Survival Manual

By Avis Coleman

Manic Moms Survival Manual is a must-read
for all fi rst-time mothers, parents with multiple
children, or working moms. It is fi lled with easyto-
follow tips and lists that will simplify life and
help alleviate stress.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 15, 2012
• ISBN: 9781468525113

Book preview

Manic Moms' Survival Manual

Avis Coleman

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AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2012 by Avis Coleman. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 02/07/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4389-6087-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4685-2511-3 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2009902249

Printed in the United States of America

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Manic Moms’ Survival Manual

Finding Help

Organizing Our Life

Traveling with Little Ones

Homework, Chores, Holidays

Be a Girl Scout and Be Prepared!

About The Author

I dedicate Manic Moms’ Survival Manual to my loving and supportive husband, John, and my five beautiful, incredible children who inspire me and bring me more joy than I ever dreamed possible.

Manic Moms’ Survival Manual

I’ll never forget the day my husband and I loaded two tiny bundles of joy into the back seat of my Honda Passport and said our farewells to the hospital that helped bring those adorable little aliens into our world. We were both fairly quiet as we drove down the four-lane, divided highway that led to our house. At about the same time, we both dared a peek into the now-occupied seats of my car and John said, Dear God, they’re going home with us! Panic-stricken, I replied, What are we going to do now?

I open with this story partly because it’s true and partly to explain that we were the most clueless parents to ever have children dropped into their lives. I had been a career woman, first working in radio, then television news, and finally producing a television program for the Savannah College of Art and Design. I had only changed one poopy diaper in my entire life, and my sister-in-law never gave me a chance to do it again. Though I was well intentioned, poo ended up all over my darling niece and her crib, and covered my clothes. And the nasty diaper I threw in disgust probably stained the white carpet forever.

My first babysitting adventure with my husband ended in disaster. He brought M&Ms to a two-year-old as a bribe to get him to like us. But John neglected to tell me he had brought the snacks and so I didn’t know to monitor the child’s intake of these contraband items. It wasn’t long before the child began to choke and spit up a colorful pile of goo that matted his shirt, hands, and the lovely beige couch in front of him. Then he began to scream incessantly. This went on for an hour before we finally caved and called his grandmother to come rescue us.

Having told you some of our inadequacies in the child department, let me explain the reason for writing this book. My close and admiring friends insisted I do so. Admiring, you ask? Believe it or not, I have turned into a manic, multi-tasking mom machine. By giving you some of my pointers for daily preparation, I hope to help you