“So much is written about the ages and stages of childhood and becoming an adult, yet we seldom flip the script to take a closer view of the seasons of being a mom! Pregnant with our first children, our vantage point is focused on taking care of the unknown. In that moment we feel as though time will somehow stand still!” ~ Randi Levin Coaching
I vividly remember being pregnant with my first child over two decades ago. I recall being clueless as to just what the job description of being a mom actually entailed. I assumed that since so many women, including my own mother had held the position before me that it had to be relatively easy to grasp, and perform well at. I had exited years in the Corporate America jungle. I had managed people, written programs, orchestrated major presentations for hundreds of senior executives, and impacted the open to buy for some of the world’s most exclusive retailers.
Could I handle ONE new human?
At the time, I was not so sure! Yet one newborn became two and twenty-three years later the answer to my own questions about motherhood are answered. Not only could I handle these new human beings, they collectively continue to impact my own growth as a person, and as a businesswoman, many times over. My own ages and stages of motherhood were fostered in understanding that just as there are seasons of the year, there are seasons to motherhood as well. What other job in life provides you with so much continued and varied opportunity for personal introspection, expansion and evolution?
We never stop to consider that once we are moms, our own identity becomes fluid and in flux for the rest of our lives! The ages and stages of being a mom help to curate the footprint of our own legacy. Torn between our personal and professional worlds, we try desperately to grasp hold of some kind of balance. This balance is not the privilege of a chosen few. It belongs to each of us.
The secret is that balance shifts and can only be fully understood in the current moment! Our capacity to respond to motherhood in the “current season” is seeped in our own abilities to recognize our evolving roles and the unique shifts in our relationships not only with our families, but also within ourselves. Simply put…nothing stays the same! If you seek balance, then you also seek uncertainty and the ability to circumvent excuses with actions that align with your values and your voice. This is an ongoing process, a daily challenge, and a source of great motivation and growth.
Every season of motherhood has a unique and transferable skill set. As women, the richness of the seasons of motherhood impacts all the chapters of our lives from the family room to the boardroom!
The Newborn Season: What we don’t know can be scary, and until we do, we don’t know our newborns! This learning curve builds our confidence and self-respect as we navigate and chart territory that is different and unknown even if we are a mom to many.
Learning on the job
Fearing less in regard to the unknown
Intuition
Multi-tasking and resourcefulness
Balance
The Toddler/Pre-school Season: As our children learn to reason with and navigate the world, we become chief entertainment officers, master negotiators and top cops. This chapter of motherhood tests our patience and sets the tone for every supervisory role we will ever hold.
Leadership: we are our children’s first leaders
Management
Negotiation and mediation
Decision-making
The art of listening
Curiosity
Playfulness
The Elementary School Season: Filled with problem solving and nurturing, these years are abundant with self-discovery and a reinforcement of core values. Responsible for the minds and souls of our kids we mirror behaviors that both build upon and tweak our own beliefs and ideals.
Problem solving
Role model
Abundance in the moment
Empathy
Life long learning
Planner & time management expert
Nurturer
Group leader
The Middle School/High School Season: Marked by a constant testing of boundaries and privileges, this stage of motherhood expands upon our managerial and peace-making skill sets and redefines our ability to trust in both the human condition and in ourselves. We emerge stronger, more resilient, and ready for anything and everything life throws our way!
Independence
Exploration
Adversity
Setting boundaries
Autonomy
Stress management
Trust
Confidence
Tenacity
Problem solving PLUS
Resiliency
The College Years Season: Hallmarked by our own new found independence the college years open doors and windows to new opportunities that we may have been unaware even existed. This is the ideal season to marry all your now honed skills from the previous 2 decades into a unique blend of who you are now. What’s next?
Mentor
Cheerleader
Letting go
Friend
Personal satisfaction
Perseverance
Unity
Adaptability
Navigating a new relationship of our children as adults in our lives…the playing field shifts
The Post Graduation Season: As our children step into adulthood we become equals in many respects. There is a renewed, yet different sense of the family unit and a refreshed element of respect that is reciprocal. Time spent together is more intentional and mindfully invested resulting in quality interactions and overall growth. We learn to inquire rather than direct.
Team spirit
Reciprocity: our kids do things for us as well as with us
Personal satisfaction
Gratitude
Guide and mentor
New beginnings
The Season of Becoming a Grandparent: Many of the perks and little of the overtime! My relationship with my mother intensified when I became a mom. I suddenly “got it” and developed a new understanding of her endurance as a mother and of our legacy through the generations.
Understanding
Connection
Generational bonding
Friendship
Spirituality
Redefined sense of purpose
Acceptance
Legacy
Randi Levin CPC, founder & CEO, Randi Levin Coaching—is a nationally recognized transitional life strategist, author, speaker, and reinvention expert. Her core belief is that we have the choice and the power to carve out and curate our own legacy based on embracing our ongoing evolution. At the age of 22, women make sweeping life-long decisions that no longer align with a 40, 50, or 65-year-old version of who they are. Utilizing a “what’s next mindset,” Randi applies her Signature GPS Coaching System incorporating growth, purpose, and success steps to support her clients in pivoting and refreshing their lives, empowering them to be the best reflection of who they are today. She is a contributor and featured expert for ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, HuffPost, Thrive Global, DivorceForce, Three Tomatoes, Women for One, and a variety of national publications and podcasts. Her workshops have been featured in The Wall Street Journal and she is a contributing author in the anthology series Get RESULTS!
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