I have a lot of friends (of all ages) who are new moms or have very young children. Many are enjoying motherhood, but feel stressed at times. We all want to be that perfect mom and raise perfect kids. There’s one thing you can stop stressing about right now. You already know you aren’t perfect and your kids won’t be perfect, either.
I enjoy babysitting little ones once in a while and I love working with them at church. But when I see parents exhausted from midnight feedings and from chasing toddlers around all day, I think, “I’m glad that’s not me”…anymore. I’ve reached a new stage in my life.
I love being a mom and loved watching my children grow up, but I’m almost completely to the other side of that. I know from experience that being a mom can be stressful.
I’ve dealt with boys peeing on things that weren’t supposed to be peed on (fortunately he’s outgrown that stage!). I’ve dealt with the teenage girl drama: the door slamming, the dreaded “I hate you,” and “You love her more than me.” I’ve been up all night with sick kids (more than once) and then had to still function the next day. I’ve cleaned up projectile vomit and explosive diarrhea. I’ve given punishments that truly broke my heart. I’ve gone without so my kids could have. Being a mom sounds glamorous, doesn’t it?
But the good times definitely outweigh the bad.
I learned a few tricks over the years, especially when my kids were little, to help relieve the stress a little and remind myself that being a mom is one of the tasks God called me to do.
There were days I would watch my kids when they didn’t know I was watching I would smile at their “concentration” faces, their mannerism, their talk and play with each other. I love watching my too-big-for-her-britches teenage daughter playing outside in the snow with her little brother. Sometimes we would just have “huggy time,” which is exactly what it sounds like. There were days I would get so angry with their behavior that there was nothing I could do but tickle them all over, until we were both laughing uncontrollably. Laughter is a great stress reliever. One of the things I enjoyed most was just listening to conversations in the back seat of the car. I dare you to be quiet and listen.
Yes, being a mom can be stressful, cut it can also be the most rewarding job you’ve ever had. For all you new/young moms out there, don’t worry, the good days outnumber the bad and you’ll end up forgetting most of the bad ones anyway. Just keep pressing on.
Now, I’m almost ready for grandchildren…almost.
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