Multitasking is a way of life for moms, but study after study warns of its perils— that it makes us less productive. That doing too many things makes us dumber. That… ummm, what was I saying?

Sorry, I was just checking my email.

Unfortunately, all this research does is add one more thing to the guilt heap for moms. When your “office” is a laptop at the kitchen table (which doubles as a Play-Doh workstation), and your kids need diapers changed, juice, more juice, and help extruding hot pink spaghetti from the Fun Factory, you’re lucky if you can focus on a task for more than two seconds, let alone get it done without multitasking.

And the worst part is, we attribute our inability to focus to “Mommy Brain!” How self-deprecating! Career, self-care, household, finances, marriage, relatives, friendships, and the round-the-clock needs of children… as if someone who did not have the brain of a mom could even come close to keeping all these balls in the air! Yeesh!

For more on the subject, listen to Katherine Ellison’s illuminating Perfect Moms Finish Last Interview— she literally wrote the book on Mommy Brain!

Multitasking is definitely a lifeline for moms, but there is a right and a wrong way to do it. Of course texting while driving to Mommy & Me is a bad idea (duh!), but there are other multitask combos that can make you more productive, decrease guilt and lower your stress level.

In Week Four of my upcoming “Perfect Moms Finish Last” 6-Week Course, I’ll share my system for multi-tasking the right way, and how to make use of all those tiny, unexpected bits of free time that crop up (waiting in the carpool line, at the doctor’s office…). Make sure you sign up for the preview call on Thursday, February 25th at 5:00pm Pacific/8:00pm Eastern to get the goods.

Here’s to playing Candy Land while you fold the laundry!