"Things are different today,"
I hear ev'ry mother say
Cooking fresh food for a husband's just a drag
So she buys an instant cake and she burns her frozen steak
And goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
And two help her on her way, get her through her busy day.
-The Rolling Stones "Mother's Little Helper"
Between the proliferation of kid activities, the increased expectation of parental involvement, and the demands of work AND home, today's mothers are being pulled in more directions than ever before. How are modern mommas getting more hours in their day? It's not a pill like the Rolling Stones sang about.
A study by The National Sleep Foundation found that 65% of mothers regularly drink caffeinated beverages to make it through their day. And we're not talking just a cup or two, Sarah Kripal, mother of two from Lincoln, Nebraska admitted, "I need about four energy drinks, three cups of coffee and a six-pack of soda every day." Lindy Smith, a mom of three says, "I usually drink two to three pots of coffee a day. I am sure this is not good for me, but how do you keep up?"
In spite of research that coffee can reduce inflammation and decrease blood sugar levels, caffeine can trigger migraines, heartburn, gastrointestinal problems and put women at an increased risk of miscarriage. And unlike the original Mother's Little Helper, liquid energy requires no prescription is readily available in various sweetened and foamy forms (vanilla lattes are my weakness!) in nearly every city in the nation, making it easy for busy moms to grab a delicious cup of jet-fuel whenever energy levels sag.
No doubt about it, caffeine is a hard habit to break and current lifestyles make it hard to imagine why we'd even try giving up the one thing that helps us squeeze more hours into a day.
1. I spent the day with a friend recently noticed that she kept mentioning how glad she was to get out of the house as well as constantly referring to the fact that her children were driving her crazy. The children were being normal children but there was nothing cranky, fussy, or outrageous going on so I just marked it down to a case of cabin fever with the kids at the time.
After some shopping we went to get a bite of lunch and I noticed that when our lunch was being served that she excused herself to go to her car. She returned to the table carrying a can of Red Bull that she poured over the ice in her glass and drank with her lunch.
She had had coffee at Starbucks before we went to the mall a few hours previously and now she was taking in more caffeine and within 10 to 15 minutes of finishing the Red Bull, it was clear that her nerves were jumping!
The thought crossed my mind whether or not our friendship could survive the suggestion that she might not find her children so irritating if she weaned herself from so much caffeine.
Jan from http://www.unique-baby-gear-ideas.com/
Posted at 12:55PM on Jun 30th 2008 by Jan Bay