Interview with Michelle Petersen from The Mumsy Blog

Michelle Petersen with her children.
Michelle Petersen over at The Mumsy Blog shares with her followers the ins, outs, ups and downs of motherhood. Her goal is to create empowerment around mothers and women, finding the everyday joys in life. 
Michelle has 4 kids under the age of 6, so her hands are definitely full! She is one awesome mom-rockstar!

  • How many kids do I have and what are their ages? 
I have four, but sometimes it feels like I have at least 8!  Ha ha!  
Isaac is 6, Emilia (aka Emi) is 5, Zachary is 3, and Benson is 10 months old.
  • If you and your children could get out of the house right now and do one fun thing in your KJ swimmers, what would you do and where would you go?
My kids would say hop on a plane and go to Disneyland. But I'm going to be a bit more practical and say hop on a plane and go to Hawaii! But if we can't get on the plane, then a trip to the Provo Rec Center would be ok too...I guess.
 
  • What aspect of motherhood brings you the greatest joy?
Hmmm...that's a hard question, because there are so many things that bring me joy as a mom. But one of the greatest is getting to spend all my time with them. Raising little humans is sooooo hard! And there are definitely days when I would like to get on a plane and go to Hawaii all by myself. But the phase of life that my kids are in right now is so magical and fleeting. Each day they are discovering or learning something new; and I get to be right there watching them soak it all in. It's pretty amazing!
 
  • What is a challenge you are facing right now in motherhood? What are you doing to stay positive and/or find a solution during this challenge?
I think the biggest challenge I'm facing right now is figuring out how to prioritize my time. There are many days when I feel like I'm being pulled in so many directions and I just can't get everything done that I need too. So, to keep my cool, I tell myself that the day was a completely win if I got to get dressed, eat at least one complete meal, cross one thing on my to-do list, and spend individual time with each of my kids.
 
  • How is your parenting style different now than it was when you were a first-time mom?
Before having kids, I was an elementary teacher. So when I had Isaac, I was a very "By the book" type of mom. Only doing what my educational background had taught me to do. And if I forgot to do something, I would stress about it big time. But now that I have four kids, I've learned that yes, it is definitely important to follow some things by the book. But at other times, it is important to completely forget about the statistics and just listen to my heart and what each of my children is telling me they need when it comes to raising them.
  • What is one thing you said you would NEVER do as a parent, and now you do all the time?
Oh my gosh! That list is at least a mile long! Ha ha! But the biggest is probably swear. Growing up, my mom swore...a lot. And I swore I would never do the same thing when I had kids. And I'm definitely eating my words. Of course, I try really hard not to swear out loud but there are those moments when my kids know just the right buttons to push and before I know it, a swear word, or two, or three is coming out. Bet you can't guess who's child was the first one to swear out loud at church. Yeah, guilty.
 
  • If you had to teach your kids just ONE thing that stuck with them forever, what would it be & why?
Kindness is all that matters. Because at the end of the day, the only thing people will ever remember about you is how you treated them.
  • If you had to give one word of advice to your first-time-mom self, what would it be?
At least once a day, make sure to look your child in the eye and tell them out loud that you love them.
 
  • A woman’s body changes a lot going in and out of pregnancies, breastfeeding and the daily demands of being a mom. You give so much of yourself to your little ones. How do you keep yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and/or spiritually healthy?
For me, it's all about the personal time. Which is something I make sure I get every single day. Of course, it doesn't alway happen at the same time each day. But at some point during the the 24-hour grind, I make sure that I get at least 30 minutes to myself, kid free, where I can do whatever it is I need to do to keep myself happy, healthy, and in check.
 
  • During the times in your life when you haven’t felt comfortable in your own skin, what did you do to gain more confidence in yourself?
Remember that the extra curves and stretch marks are a representation of me having and raising 4 tiny humans which is pretty damn incredible. And that, in turn, makes me pretty damn fabulous regardless of what the scale or clothing tag may say!
     
    • You run a business/blog AND are a full-time mom. How do you balance the two?
    Prioritizing and setting guidelines are key for me. I started my blog just after I had Zachary, my third of four kids. And I quickly realized that if I didn't lay some ground rules for myself, that I would get burnt out and things would get out of hand. So for me, I have made it a point that when my kids are awake and with me, I don't do any blog related work. But as soon as they are napping, asleep for the night, or away at a play date, I jump into blogger mode; and going about things this way has really helped me feel balanced in both aspects of my life.
    Be sure to check Michelle out on Instagram for a KJ giveaway!
    xoxo, Kortni Jeane + Team

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