The majority of moms would agree that parenthood is a blessing; however, the truth is it’s not always fun.
For example, last week was the kindergarten field trip to the zoo. After driving an hour to the zoo to meet the bus, I collected my group of four active little boys and spent the day exploring the zoo. Suffice it to say, it was a long day. By the end of the afternoon, the fitness app on my phone had logged over 5 miles. Later that night as I tucked in my 6-year-old he said, “Mom, next time we go to the zoo, could you not come?” Really?!
Motherhood is not for the faint of heart. It’s not always pretty and very often it’s a thankless job. This Mother’s Day I thought I’d offer a few thoughts to keep in mind when the day is especially hard and long.
- Children are a long term investment. Like many long term investments, child rearing does not always immediately pay off. Remember, you are in this for the long haul! When the day gets long and you feel like nothing is being accomplished, take the long view.
- They are watching and learning. I have a book about womanhood that I went through with my oldest daughter and am currently reading with my youngest daughter. When my 17 year old quoted an important part of the book to me the other day, I wanted to weep! It’s been 5 years since we studied that book together and she actually remembered something of value that I had taught her. I couldn’t believe it! She really was listening!
- If the kids are always happy with me, I’m probably doing something wrong. I hate conflict. I will go to great lengths to avoid it. But one thing I’ve learned in my 17 years of parenting is that if everyone is happy with me, there’s a better than average chance that I’m doing something wrong. Being a mom is tough and very often the lessons my kids need to learn make me less than popular. So be it. My kids have plenty of friends. They need me to be their mom.
- I will get it wrong. Let’s face it, we’re all human and it’s not at all unusual to screw up when parenting children. Dr. Garry Landreth says, “The most important thing may not be what I do, but what I do after what I’ve done.” A humble apology goes a long way in healing hurts!
- They will probably survive when I mess up. Although moms do get it wrong, it rarely means that we screw up our kid for life. Fortunately, kids are resilient and tend to bounce back when we aren’t at our parenting best! So forgive yourself when you mess up and resolve to do better next time!
- It goes by fast. Perhaps the most important thing for moms to remember is that childhood is fleeting. Although the day can seem so long, the years really do go by quickly. My 17 year old just told me last week that she will have her senior portraits made this month. What?! Wasn’t she just watching Teletubbies yesterday? Enjoy this short period of your life!
Red Apple Reading hopes you find these reflections helpful as you enjoy your special day. Being a mom can be stressful, so take some time today to relax. We recommend curling up with a good book. 😉
