Here, we catch up with Keinai on the inspiration behind her Mommy Blog and her bonus Mommy Support System Network and ways she is keeping her family busy and organized during the Quarantine.
How are you doing? How would you describe your life as a mom in just six words?
I am doing fantastic! Virtual homeschooling has been a challenge while working from home, but we are definitely starting to get the hang of it and master this “new norm”. To describe my life as a mom in 6 words: filled with utter chaos but fun!
What was the best advice on motherhood you ever received?
The best advice I have ever received was to never compare my story to others. As a mom of three, I have learned that every child is different, every pregnancy is different and every family is different. What works for some of my mom friends does not work for us. So I, with the help of my hubby, try our best each day to not worry about what’s happening around us and to just focus on being the best parents to our kids.
How old are your kids?
My kids are 9, 5 and 4 months old. I had my daughter when I was 24 years old. Young and inexperienced to say the least. I was blessed with a bonus daughter with my marriage and my husband and I just recently had a baby (in COVID). A bouncing boy who is full of energy and I can already see will keep me very busy.
What are some things you and your family are doing to manage during Covid?
Sigh. Gosh I wish this would just go away! For us Covid was somewhat a blessing if I were to be honest. Because of the lockdowns and working from home, I basically spent my last two trimesters at home with my daughter just waiting for the baby to arrive. I work in sales so typically I would be on the road all day and working nights so having that break to rest in my pregnancy was a blessing! In terms of activities and keeping sane, Covid has brought us so much closer together as a family. From cooking and baking together to game nights, barbecues and fun outdoors in our backyard, we managed to keep the kids happy despite the limitations.
Game night has been something the kids look forward to each week and we have a small circle of family members that are allowed to join us on the weekends. Educational toys and games for the kids have also helped and we have tried to keep schedules consistent so that once we are back to normal adjusting isn’t too difficult.
How are you keeping your kids busy?
Lol. This is the most difficult. My 9 year old gets bored every five minutes of the day. Luckily for me she enjoys reading so we have invested in lots of books during this time and she usually spends hours reading. Fun activities like craft boxes have been a hit with both girls and recently we have gotten into puzzles. My husband loves the challenge of putting puzzles together and over the summer my eldest daughter helped with a 1500 piece he was doing. Since then she has been obsessed with putting together puzzles herself. The Puzzle and Bloom addition to her activities has been perfect. What I love about the puzzles is that each time she completes one, she attempts something a little more difficult. I love that she continues to challenge herself!
What is your daily routine like?
My daily routine is exhausting haha but it goes a little like this:
5am: Cooking breakfast for hubby and feed baby
6am: Devotions and affirmations
7am: Wake up daughters and prepare for virtual classes
8am: Breakfast with kids
9am-12noon: Work
12:30pm: Lunch with kids
2pm-4pm: Work
5pm: Prepare dinner
6pm-8pm: Family time
8:30pm: Kids bedtime routine
9pm: Movies with hubby
Somewhere in between I fit in a 20minute workout every day along with some reading. This all happens while taking care of a 4 month old baby, changing pampers, breastfeeding, pumping milk and keeping him alive!
What are your three “must-haves” as a mother?
1. Coffee to start the day
2. Wine to end the day
3. Community: for me, my greatest blessing as a mother has been the community I have connected with. Moms who are like minded and can understand my daily struggles. I can call and vent, ask for advice and when we meet up we give each other grace to be who we are.
What advice do you have for working moms?
My advice would be to remember you were not created to save the world and be everyone’s hero. It is great to have goals in place but in order to be effective as a working mom and to be able to give back to your family, you have to be filled. Taking time out for self care is important. This shouldn’t be once every few months but should actually be a daily practice. Whether it is taking a longer shower or going for ice cream by yourself. Taking time to refuel is important! A happy mom is the best mom to her kids.
Please tell us about your Blog. “Kee The Mama Bee.” When did you start it? What made you decide to start a blog? Do you have any advice for people wanting to start their own? Where can we find your blog and follow you?
Kee The Mama Bee started late 2019 after finding out I was pregnant. Nothing about this pregnancy was planned and it was certainly a surprise for all of us. I had just landed my dream job and was only working for 3 months when I found out. So I knew that this would be an adventure to say the least and Kee The Mama Bee was started.
My advice is to just go for it! A lot of times we put off doing things because of fear or feeling like we aren’t 100% ready, but there is never a better time to get started than now! My blog is www.Keethemamabee.com. I can also be followed on IG at @keethemamabee and @keethemamabee on Twitter. Happy to connect!
We also see you are the creator of “The Mommy Spot.” Please tell us more about that. What was your inspiration for it? Where can we find it online?
The Mommy Spot is my baby! It started when I first got pregnant with my now nine year old. It initially started as a group of moms arranging playdates on a monthly basis. We have evolved into a community of moms and moms-to-be and have recently held a virtual Mommy Wellness Summit despite the pandemic (super proud moment).
My inspiration was connecting with moms who were going through similar situations as I was. I was 24 years old when I first got pregnant and I had no idea what to do with a new baby. These mom’s became my support system. Mommy Spot can be found at https://www.mommyspotbahamas.com and on IG @the.mommyspot .