The other night my husband and I decided to go to the movies and see " Bad Moms". I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. It was so inappropriately hilarious! A must see movie to say the least.
There was so much truth that made me reflect on myself as a mom.
We take our roles as mom's to the extreme. I know, I do. Recently , my brother and oldest daughter were having a conversation and he said " you're mom really takes her mothering seriously." When she shared this with me, I asked myself " what did he mean by that?" Of course I take mother seriously!
A couple days later, I texted my brother, asking him what he meant by that comment. He said" You seem to have taken what you received and didn't receive as a child and parent from that." I thought about it, and understood what he was saying. I guess that makes sense, while it also puts a lot of pressure on me.
You see as mother's we are nurturing by nature...But we take on a whole new meaning of nurturing our children theses days. We think our children are a reflection of who we are and how we parent them. So we perfectly dress them, package their lunches just right, enroll them in way too many activities, volunteer for everything, and put so much pressure on ourselves to keep up with Suzy down the street. It's Exhausting!
Deep down, we just want to love our children well and raise them to the Best of our abilities.Nothing more, Nothing less.
Is this something you struggle with? Are you exhausted? Do you have high expectations of yourself?
These days, I'm giving myself Grace while trying to enjoy being a mother to my children. I'm learning to let go, while holding on to the love that I have for my children. I'm learning to laugh, while trying to not be so high strung! I'm letting my children make mistakes, so they can learn from them, and I'm letting Jesus guide me instead of the World.
A couple days later, I texted my brother, asking him what he meant by that comment. He said" You seem to have taken what you received and didn't receive as a child and parent from that." I thought about it, and understood what he was saying. I guess that makes sense, while it also puts a lot of pressure on me.
You see as mother's we are nurturing by nature...But we take on a whole new meaning of nurturing our children theses days. We think our children are a reflection of who we are and how we parent them. So we perfectly dress them, package their lunches just right, enroll them in way too many activities, volunteer for everything, and put so much pressure on ourselves to keep up with Suzy down the street. It's Exhausting!
Deep down, we just want to love our children well and raise them to the Best of our abilities.Nothing more, Nothing less.
Is this something you struggle with? Are you exhausted? Do you have high expectations of yourself?
These days, I'm giving myself Grace while trying to enjoy being a mother to my children. I'm learning to let go, while holding on to the love that I have for my children. I'm learning to laugh, while trying to not be so high strung! I'm letting my children make mistakes, so they can learn from them, and I'm letting Jesus guide me instead of the World.
This is so true, especially with what your brother pointed out. I too have found myself mothering to the extreme due to my childhood. It can be overwhelming. But I'm learning now to parent as unto the Lord.
ReplyDeleteSo very true!
ReplyDeleteYep we sure do take it serious :) I thought I was super serious about the Mom business until I get around other Moms and then I'm not so sure. I feel like that might be a common "comparisonitus" issue with us women? Can't wait to see the movie!
ReplyDeleteI took her into the guest room to try to nurse and rock her to sleep so that S could sleep. bottle holder for babies for feeding
ReplyDeleteThe question ought to be whether or not we want a tutor who is extremely trained or the one who encompasses a higher background in teaching. Consistent parenting
ReplyDeleteI can be a little to high strung in my parenting sometimes. But I also struggle with not being serious enough sometimes, which I think makes it hard for my son to see me as an authority figure, not a friend. I am working on being a little less playful and silly and a little more parental. At the same time, I am trying to lighten up on things like junk food (in moderation) and wanting people to take care of my son EXACTLY the same way that I do (on some things, others are non-negotiable).
ReplyDeleteI do take myself seriously, but mainly when it's for their "safety". I think I used to worry about what everyone else thinks, and every now and then a little of that will creep back. I just know that now that my kids are pre-teens and teens, it's getting easier to be a parent, even though I know there are definitely going to be harder times ahead. Does that make sense?
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I've always felt I was an uber-serious parent, and then my 20 year old daughter recently said, "since you were such a lax parent" about some topic we were discussing. OH how our perceptions differ. I can only pray I made the serious decisions in the right places.
ReplyDeleteThis is so true! Obviously parenting is a serious job, but I'm trying to remind myself to find more joy in the little moments. It turns out that when you look for those fun moments, they're all around.
ReplyDeleteI know can put unrealistic expectations on myself as a mother. Thanks so much for this reminder to have grace with myself and others! Blessings, Misty Phillip your neighbor at Christian Marriage and Motherhood
ReplyDeleteThis is so true!! I just talked about this myself in a way. We put so much pressure on ourselves and want to do what's "best" for our children, but we overlook the power of just letting them play and giving ourselves a bit of a break.
ReplyDeleteMany times I think mothers feel that society will judge them for not being a good enough parent! All kids need is to feel safe and most importantly, LOVED!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point; sometimes we strive to do everything perfectly for our kids when we simply need to trust God and enjoy them! Thank you for reminder.
ReplyDeleteWell said. Parenting is hard. I don't like the extra pressure. Thank you!
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