Lately, moms are talking about rocking motherhood to support moms who are feeling less than. In this day and age, when we are bombarded with information on parenting, and we are flooded with pictures on social media of other moms who seem to have it all together, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. We can feel like we are failing when we compare ourselves to other moms.
We’re not. You’re not. I’m not. If your kids are clothed, fed, sheltered, and loved, then you are doing a great job. Below is a list of 10 reasons why I am rocking motherhood. Sure, I have my failures and my down days, but that’s all just part of the journey.
- My son can reference 80’s movies and TV shows. My son has grown up on the shows that my husband and I grew up on. In fact, it wasn’t until this year that he really watched anything that is currently on TV besides PBS Kids. My son knows Gremlins, Fraggles, the real Ghostbusters, the Muppets, and the Willy Wonka with Gene Wilder. He can totally hang with my friends.
- My kids love dancing and music. My kids have grown up exposed to music and love a good rhythm. Just this morning, my son was practicing shuffles in the dining room, and my daughter was bouncing along to Daniel Tiger. They have listened to a wide variety of genres and can appreciate different styles. My son can sing Beauty and the Beast in one breath and Billy Joel in the next. This makes for a super fun afternoon.
- My kids know theater. My son performed in his first show at 2 years old. He has been singing Sweeney Todd songs since the same age. Both of my kids have experienced musical theater rehearsals and seen live productions. They have witnessed the work that goes into production and the magic that occurs when shows are performed live on stage.
- My kids have a love of books. I read to my kids daily. My kids love stories. My son loves to hear me read books or look at the pictures and create his own stories. He loves that we can pick up a book and enter a whole new world together. At age four, he asks about the words and letters he sees and is inspired to start reading himself. My daughter loves to listen to my son’s interpretation of books.
- My kids know they are loved. I tell my kids that I love them every day. I try to say it often and spontaneously. I say it when they are behaving and when they do things that I don’t like so much. I try to drive home the fact that I will always love them no matter what they do.
- I accept who they are. My son likes Star Wars, My Little Pony, Ninja Turtles, Shopkins, wrestling, and Mickey Mouse. My daughter likes Minnie, Big Bird, and watching wrestling. I never try to change who they are or what they like. Who they are is perfect.
- I act silly with them. I will gladly play Avengers, Potato Heads, Beauty and the Beast, where Belle is the Black Widow potato-head wearing the yellow Wolverine clothes and Beast is the Hulk. I will have lightsaber battles, make silly faces, and get down on the floor to pretend we are puppies. I am not too old nor too mature to be silly with my kids. I love seeing my kids happy and laughing, and I will gladly be silly to make that happen.
- I teach my kids manners. I want my kids to be good people. I want them to be respectful and kind to others. I want them to act in a way that will garner other people’s respect and help them out in the real world. So I teach my children manners. I teach them to be humble and polite, say please and thank you, and be well-behaved little people.
- I teach my kids the value of self-care. I try to be an example to my kids of someone who loves and respects herself. I try to treat my body well by exercising and eating well (most of the time). I make time for myself and occasionally spend a little on myself. I am constantly working to better myself and showing my kids that self-love is so important.
- I worry about being a good mom. A sure sign that you want to be your best at something is that you worry about not being your best. When someone or something is important to you, it’s normal to concern yourself with how well you are helping/impacting/caring for them. The very fact that I sometimes question myself is solid proof that I am rocking motherhood!
Now it’s your turn! On a day that you feel good about life and this thing, we call motherhood, whip out a piece of paper or the notes app on your smartphone and put together your own list of how you are rocking motherhood. You can use my list as inspiration, but it should be very personal to you. Keep this list with you and take it out whenever you feel overwhelmed, or less than, or lacking as a mom. It is sure to help put things back in perspective.
On that same note, take a moment to tell a mom you know how they are rocking motherhood. We all could use a boost and a sign of support from our fellow mamas. Remember, you rock, mama!
