Holiday Tips for Moms
The Smart Tricks This Busy Mom Uses to Enjoy Family Time During the Holidays
Within 20 minutes, Hina Cheema goes from an emergency surgery to her kids' soccer practice. Around the holidays, the OBGYN robotic surgeon and mom adds more school events, choir performances, and family dinners to the schedule. In her world, every second counts.
Hina has come up with solutions for holiday challenges. She encourages her kids to be more independent, which frees up more of her time. She's also learned to accept that life can't always be perfect. Not only do Hina's smart approaches save time, they also inspire self-confidence in her kids. As a mom, that's the best holiday gift you could ask for.
In her day job, Hina has to endure high-stress situations. So at home as a mother of two, she does what she can to keep things running smoothly, which can be a stretch around the holidays. Luckily, Hina has smart solutions — she is an accomplished doctor, after all. "A designated holiday budget will be your best friend, I promise," she told us.
Hina also plans ahead and puts everything on a shared calendar. While organization can help parents tackle more responsibilities themselves, Hina thinks moms shouldn't be afraid to delegate, too. "Ask for help. I can’t stress more how important this is," she said. That can mean help with child care, housekeeping, food, or anything else you can think of. Hina's husband, Zaki, keeps things running smoothly when he's home, but he travels three days during the week for work, so Hina really knows the value of an extra hand. "You absolutely can’t do every single thing you have planned if you try to do it all by yourself," she admitted. "Either ask for a friend’s help or hire help that will free you up to do things only you can do.”
Since Hina is an OBGYN, newborn babies get to decide how long she sleeps and how much time she spends with her family. "Babies can come at any time," she pointed out. "Leaving my stress at work is an art I have come to master. I know that when I am on call, I can be called into the hospital at any time. I make the most of the time I am at home." Everything in Hina's house has been simplified and organized. The kids’ schedules are on a calendar that hangs in the kitchen. Ayra and Yusuf also have a daily checklist that they have to complete by the end of the day, whether Hina is home or not.
Credits: Photography Tawni Bannister; Art Direction: Colleen Lennon; Hair and Makeup: Ashley Schultz; Prop Styling: Katja Greeff; Wardrobe Styling: Emma Sousa; Production: Andi Nash