Today we are visited by one very funny lady, Jenn Doucette, mom of three, and founder of Daisy Ministries (Discover, Anticipate, Identify & Seek after Yahweh, God).

Jenn is the author of The Velveteen Mommy and co-author of Up — Devotions for Faith that Connects. She loves connecting with women and inspiring them to grow in their faith — laughing along the way. Her newest book is called Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This.

Welcome, Jenn! I love the title of your book — can you tell us what you mean by “days like this?”

You know — one of “those days” that is normal to every mom, but would have scared you silly BK (before kids), such as:

You wake up late because your four-year-old was messing with your alarm clock — only to realize your three grade-schoolers are mere moments from missing the bus so you hand them each a granola bar for breakfast, toss some lunch money in their backpacks and get two of them to the bus stop.

But the remaining first-grader lingers behind while trying to tie her shoe in-between sobs that she’s the “student of the week” and you haven’t sent in any special show-and-tell around the historical theme of the week (World War II era pottery made in Nigeria), nor have you sent in treats or a handmade photo anthology of her life …

I know what you mean! Those show-and-tell days can be downright stressful around my house too.

It’s also the day the Visa bill came, your car ran out of gas at the grocery store, your toddler threw up on you in the checkout line, and you got your period. A week early.

Yep. One of “those days.”

Yikes! What has been the most challenging aspect of motherhood for you?

The out-of-control part. And I don’t just mean myself. I like things neat and tidy (physically, socially, emotionally, spiritually, etc.); motherhood has nothing to do with neat and tidy other than the neverending pursuit thereof.

But just like God, it’s the biggest challenges that have grown, stretched, and shaped me the most in the last twelve years. I’ve learned not to run from the challenges of motherhood; rather I embrace them (and publish them).

I’m glad you’ve published your mothering challenges because your book was so much fun to read! Can you tell us why you decided to include “12 rest stops” for moms?

I liken the Busy Stage of motherhood to driving in the fast lane, outta control and running on fumes. While doing some online research about driving safety, I found a top 12 list for the most common dangerous driving habits demonstrated by Americans.

So I fashioned 12 corresponding Rest Stops for moms to use as strategies for avoiding burnout:

1. Reconnecting with Others
2. Reclaiming Contentment
3. Resolving to Listen
4. Redefining Beauty
5. Relinquishing Pride
6. Rediscovering Wonder
7. Repairing Relationships
8. Reestablishing Priorities
9. Resting and Relaxing [my personal favorite!]
10. Revisiting Strategies
11. Rekindling the Romance
12. Restoring Your Soul

Why do you think it’s important for today’s moms to take time out to rest and recharge?

Because things are always going to get busier. And more complicated.

We have choices thrust in our faces every day that just continue to expand. In order for moms to avoid the inevitable burnout, I think it’s imperative for us to just STOP every now and then to recharge and refresh. We may miss out on a few things, but in the long run, we’ll be better moms.

That’s true — and now I have your permission to take a guilt-free break this afternoon and finish up a book I’m longing to read. To recharge my battery. So thanks!

You’re welcome. 😉

Do you have any advice on how a woman can keep her sense of humor when she’s having one of those “days like this” or even “years like this?”

There are quite a few good strategies. Here’s my own top five:

— By keeping in touch with a friend or a group of friends who will listen and keep you grounded.

— By talking with moms who are a stage (or two) ahead of you.

— By talking with your own mother (if possible).

— By taking a break occasionally to visit the lighter side of life – don’t lose the “fun girl” permanently just because you’re a mom!

— By reading a Junie B. Jones book every few months.

Ha! We have a whole bookshelf of Junie B. Jones books, and Barbara Park has such a silly sense of humor. Your last book was called The Velveteen Mommy. Can you tell us a little about that book?

It’s about the humorous frustrations and hidden joys of motherhood. I found the toddler stage in particular to be riddled with funnies in the midst of the yuckies.

In Velveteen, I take you on a fun journey through the trenches, complete with a few Biblical lessons in-between. If you need a change of pace, some comforting conversation, a sympathetic shoulder for a tear or two, and lots of laughter to lighten your load, Velveteen Mommy is for you.

Sounds great. It looks like you’ve got a lot going on with Daisy Ministries — why do you feel a calling to encourage today’s moms?

Because it’s a jungle out there, baby. We moms need to stick together if we’re going to survive this thing called motherhood.

Oh, I love that quote! I think I’m going to have to jot that down to hang on my dashboard to read while I’m hauling kids around. I’m not alone — I’m sticking with moms like you!

Seriously, when I first became a mom, the difficulties were so . . . overwhelming they seemed unbelievable. And then they became kind of funny (but perhaps that was because I was so sleep deprived).

When I speak to women, I notice one consistent fact: THEY ALL LOVE TO LAUGH. And well, I’m a ham and love to make people laugh, so it’s a good relationship.

I’ve realized that once you can share your own failings with someone else and make ‘em laugh, they’re more open to hearing the gentle message of hope of Jesus. He wants us to love others. Encouraging them with hope and humor is my way of demonstrating that love.

You can catch up with all the funny stuff Jenn Doucette has going on at her website, Daisy Ministries. Jenn is a proud member of the CCA, Christian Comedy Association (Not to be confused with Corrections Corporation of America or the Center for Computational Aesthetics . . . or the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association).