It happens so subtly you don’t even notice.  One day, you are a research analyst who speaks only about numbers, the next big study, what the big Ah-Ha is going to be and how you’ll get there.  The next, you are realizing that holy cow, you could actually be friends with this research vendor you just met with, because you have so much in common. 

In this case, the contact is a mother of two, ages 4 and I think 7 or so.  We started by discussing our backgrounds, how we got started in research, but the conversation gradually shifted and soon we were talking about the birth, who we turned to, what it was like and other deeply personal things.  I’d say we really had way more in common than the average research/supplier relationship. 

It is almost like she knew the secret handshake.  She urged me to go ahead and have baby #2, because after they are about 3 years old your time starts to free up, so the 100% focus commitment isn’t actually that long considering your life span.  I ate it up; I believe everything she said.  Then we talked about research, and I found myself sincerely hoping that we end up working together soon on some study or another, because us moms need to stick together.

What I found particularly interesting, though, was that 91% of moms who want to improve their overall health, are doing so by trying to be more fit and active.  That is a lot of moms!  It was about double as many moms as would try dieting/weight loss (49%). 

This really resonated with me, given that I’ve recently been spending more and more time with my friend and fellow mom Karin.  Instead of meeting for a playdate or for coffee, we’ve actually be taking to the roads and heading out for bike rides!  Every week we go a little farther.  It’s a lot of fun and an excellent chance to chit chat, compare notes and just enjoy the newly emerged sunshine.  I can’t wait to get a bike trailer to take Chloe with me.  So much for indoor playdates, its time for baby to hit the road!

This gives me a lot of hope.  I’m constantly seeing the news reports about obesity in American, and I find particularly disturbing the reports of obesity in children being on the rise.  I think to myself, this is something we parents can control.   We buy their food, by and large, so we can control what they eat.  Even if its through an allowance, we have control because we can take the allowance away if they abuse it.

I have a feeling that many parents might laugh at me for saying this.  Its true, I am a new parent, and yes, I am already caving occaisionally to Chloe’s craving for buttered toast.  I stupidly introduced her to it and now I shall reap my reward…  Still.  Chloe can’t go out and buy toast.  She can’t even open the fridge, much less figure out our luddite-unfriendly toaster/oven/broiler/convection oven.  I can stop her from eating toast, anytime. 

It’s just so interesting to me that we parents start out with the best of intentions and yet still things can go awry.  68% of expectant and new moms say that since becoming a parent, they are now more focused on serving more nutritious meals to their families.  Yet at the same time, HALF of these same moms say they are trying to buy food and cook meals their family will eat.  At the end of the day, I think that’s the problem.  Its hard to get your family to eat nutritious meals. 

My brilliant husband recently bought me a book that might help.  It’s by Jessica Seinfeld and is called “Deceptively Delicious”.  The premise is that if you hide the nutrition inside of what appears to be non-nutritious foods like pizza, then people will eat it.  The book advises that you keep a full store of pureed foods in your freezer, so you can easily add brussel sprouts to mac’n'cheese.   Its a fabulous idea, but I think it just teaches your family that pizza is nutritious because you never know, someone might have cleverly hidden brussel sprouts in there.

Statistically speaking, I’m not the only one. 73% of moms with children care about their appearance!  1 in 3 care deeply.  And, 79% of them say they care deeply about maintaining themselves both as a woman and as a mom.

Allow me to be clear here…  I am definitely not one of those moms who would sacrifice time with her children or family for vanity’s sake.  Interestingly, only 3% of moms identify themselves as a “Fashionable mom who, while still making time for her family, does not compromise on her appearance and/or daily beauty routine.” That’s refreshing.  To me it means that there really are hardly any moms who are actually this far to the spectrum, where they might actually have time allocation issues. 

I’d say I’m one of the 44% of moms who “”keeps it real”, staying stylish and pretty but still making time for both herself and her family.”  It’s important to make time for myself so I don’ t go crazy.  And I want to be an attractive spouse to my partner…  And yes, he likes that.  *twinkle*  But at the end of the day, I am really maintaining myself FOR myself.  I like to be a strong, sexy, powerful woman.  I want to be an example for my daughter.  I want her to learn that she can be whoever she wants to be, and that if she someday has a baby, she doesn’t have to give up everything.  Just some sleep. 

There is another segment to this momalysis (mom+analysis).  About 44% of moms with children identify themselves as “clean and well-kept but not the most fashionable”.  I can totally get this, as there were times over the past first year of being a mom that this was the way it was, no matter what I did.  I would like to do some further analysis, though.  Do they have more children?  Are they significantly busier, or perhaps do they spend more time out of the public eye? 

Only 9% of moms identified themselves at the far end of the range, as a “mom who does not prioritize her appearance.”  Considering the stereotype, I find this to be an absolute myth-buster.  Really, that means that 91% of moms are at the other end of the spectrum. 

OK, there is more on this, I’ll be back later. 

I post my insights here all the time:  www.babycentersolutions.com