Podcast Episode #3: Why Moms Should Feed Ourselves First

You know how you can be up for hours in the morning, your kids will be on their second breakfast or third snack and somehow, you still haven’t had a bite? (And you’ve had to warm up your coffee 17 times?) Well, in Episode #3 of Comfort Food, we reveal our new Mama Manifesto: #FeedYourselfFirst!

You can download this episode from iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn Radio, or wherever else you get your podcasts. or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos we referenced.

Remember Your Own Needs (Really) Matter

This gem from Janet Lansbury speaks volumes to us: “…We are much more comfortable with having that constant validation that we’re making other people happy. And that becomes more important than taking care of our own needs, self-care, and doing things that make us feel happy.”

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While it can be hard to feel like you’re important enough to feed yourself first — you are! Full stop. Plus, it sets such a good tone for a happier, fuss-free morning when you’re not hangry and trying to parent at the same time.

Try these Make-Ahead Breakfasts for Easy Mornings

We love Overnight Oats, Baked Oatmeal, Smoothies (try putting all of the ingredients except the milk into a freezer safe container (shown above) and then plopping it all, with the milk, into the blender in the morning!), Breakfast Cookies, Muffins, and Egg Muffins.

Let the Kids Do More for Themselves

This little pitcher is so helpful and easy for the kids to pour their own drinks. We keep it filled with milk or water and on the bottom shelf in the fridge so the 6 year old can get it whenever she needs a drink.

This is the Only Reusable Pouch You Need

This is the game changing reusable pouch from Squeasy Gear that Virginia mentioned that her baby loves. (My two year old does too!) It comes in a small 3.5-ounce size or a larger 6-ounce one, is easy to clean, and is virtually impossible for the kids to squirt out all over themselves. We love them for foods like smoothies and applesauce that can otherwise be a little messy for babies and toddlers to self-feed.

Rethink Your Family’s Division of Labor

Here’s the American Time Use Survey, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics uses to track how Americans divvy up domestic chores and other work. As Virginia explains in the episode, the most recent data finds that 70 percent of women do both food prep and clean-up, compared with just 43 percent of men. And even when men do this stuff, they spend less time on it—17 minutes on food prep vs. 37 minutes for women.

That said, many dads want to do more: Two-thirds of millennial couples agree that parents should contribute equally to the household, according to this 2015 report by the Boston College Center for Work and Family. But only 30 percent are making it happen. How does this shake out in your house?