5 things you need to know as a mom

I’ve conversed with many mothers in my day and I have come to realize we all have something in common. We’re all doing the best we can!! Some of us are doing it alone (single moms) some of us are doing it with a spouse/partner, and some of us may even have the support of family/friends. Either way, the common theme always seem to be, we’re doing the best we can by our kids.

Some days I feel like I’m an epic fail as a mother and other days I feel like, hey, you kept them alive and happy, job well done. Very rarely do I feel like I have this mom thing figured out and if by some fluke I do get cocky in feeling like I know what I’m doing, my babies are there to quickly bring me back to reality. But while I’m not sure or even confident in myself most time, I’m very confident in my God. Lamentations 3:22-23 “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

What I’ve come to realize is I will forever be in the school of hard knocks as a mom. I’m always learning and growing as a mommy. One of the most important things I’ve learned along the way is that I HAVE to encourage myself!!! The Bible tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Proverbs 18:21. So here are a few things I think we should remind ourselves as mothers:

1. You’re the best mom your child(ren) will ever have.

Despite how you may feel at times, there isn’t another woman that could be a better mom to YOUR child(ren). I once heard a therapist explain it this way. Regardless of the disfunction that may take place in a home, a child is connected to and relies on the parent that is present in their life. This is proven when child services attempts to remove a child from the home. That child would much rather live in disfunction with their parent vs be without them. That said, you may not be proud of every choice you make, but know, your child(ren) would prefer your mess ups over someone else’s clean up.

2. Don’t identify yourself by your mistakes.

We all make mistakes, that’s how we learn and grow. We are not define by our mistakes we’re defined by our God. Our Heavenly Father gives us our identity. Genesis 1:27 tells us God made us in His image. He made no mistakes!!

3. As a mom, you are an influencer

In today’s world, the word “influencer”means you have a huge platform with thousands or millions of followers. However; as a mom with or without a platform, you have a follower. In fact, the most important follower you could ever have is your child(ren). They are the FIRST to follow you and trust everything you say. So take your job as an influencer important!

4. YOU were purposely chosen to be your child’s mother.

You have everything you need inside you to raise your child(ren). An Oak Tree doesn’t start as a tree, it starts as a seed. The seed comes with everything it needs to become a strong Oak Tree one day. It goes through different phases and seasons throughout its life cycle. But at the end of the day, that seed is created with what it needs in order to become that tree. We are those seeds, God created us with everything we will need throughout this life to be exactly who we are, and one part of us is being a mom. Be confident that you have all that you need!

5. Self care is a necessity not a luxury.

A happy and healthy you is a happy and healthy mommy. Understand, self care shouldn’t feel like another chore to add to the list. Self-care in my book, is self preservation. That may mean the dishes don’t get done tonight because I’m tired and that’s ok. Or I may need to phone a friend for help. Or it may just be me saying no to something or someone and not feeling guilty about it!

At the end of the day, we’re all doing our best and your best is all you should expect from yourself. Know that your best may look different day to day, but if it’s the best you got, then hey, that’s a win!!!

Isaiah 25:1
1 Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago