Last week I introduced you to the Seven Dwarfs of Menopause: Itchy, Bitchy, Sweaty, Sleepy, Bloated, Forgetful, and Psycho. “Sleepy” was the “menopause dwarf” of the week.. This week “Forgetful” makes its debut.

If we weren’t parenting younger children at this point in our lives, forgetfulness would not be such a huge issue. But we need to keep track of appointments, remember conversations, keep promises, and attend events with our children. This is where the organized person comes out the winner. I’ll admit that I don’t carry around a pocket calendar; I have one calendar hanging on a wall in the kitchen and everything that needs to be remembered gets written on it. That keeps it down to one calendar the whole family can see and use. However there is no guarantee that I’ll remember to look at my calendar first thing in the morning. So I’ve developed a system that works well for me. Let me introduce you to the index card and cupboard door system.

I check my calendar before I go to bed (and usually don’t forget), and on an index card write whatever is important to remember the next day. I tape this card to the outside of the kitchen cupboard door I open frequently. I know, this is not exactly attractive, but who cares? I never miss seeing this card, and I don’t forget what I have to do that day. I don’t put out more than one card at a time.

Now, if I’m away from home when someone tells me something I need to remember, I ask them to call or email me with the information. I also tell them that if I haven’t written it down, I will forget it. That is how I cover my bases.

And what about those commitments we make to our children? If your child can read, once again the index card comes in handy. Write the committment down on an index card, give it to your child, and they become responsible for reminding you about it. The same can be done with your spouse. After all, we can’t keep that many cards around without forgetting where we’ve put them. And if it is really important to your child or spouse, they’ll keep track of the card.

Mothers are often expected to take the role of the memory bank in the family. If we are forgetful enough, those around us will take some responsibility. If we are willing to give up “control” of everything around us, we won’t be so stressed that we’ll forget everything.

To learn more about memory loss, check out this information from Dr. Christiane Northrup about taking soy supplements to improve your memory.

Image Credit: Forget-me-not flowers on flickr