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Challenge: I'm a Great Mom Because...

MOMS RULE...and that Includes ME!

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Let's get right to it. I am a kick A$$ mom, plain and simple. I know what you are thinking...this lady is a bit over-confident. My name is The Mommy Master® after all. Too bold for you? How's this for arrogant? I got this parenting thing...at least for today. Huh? Read on to understand.

Shhh. I think I may have figured out the secret to "Mastering Motherhood", but don't tell anyone. Just kidding...tell EVERYONE! Moms everywhere need to know this private and precious information.

Drum roll please. The reason I am so successful as a parent, is because I am...wait for it...wait for it... A FAILURE. Yep, that's right...a failure. You are probably a bit confused, which is a normal reaction. Let me explain.

As Moms, we feel like we have to be so perfect all of the time. We don't want anyone knowing we haven't done laundry all week and our kids took their school uniform out of the laundry basket...again. Wouldn't it be horrible if anyone found out our kids ate cereal three times this week for dinner? We can't imagine what people would think if they knew our kids said they hated us. Time to get real people.

I never understood who set the bar so high anyway. Don't people realize that there is no such thing as perfect? No perfect parent and no perfect child?

When motherhood gets tough and I feel like running away, I don't hide and force a smile. Absolutely not. I want to scream my Mommy Mishaps through a megaphone so everyone can hear me. When we realize other moms are going through the same downfalls and struggles we are, we can actually laugh about it instead of feeling ashamed and alone.

If anyone judges me for spreading the word about my defeat, guess what? I DON'T CARE. Mind your Mommy Manners and have fun being perfect. I'll be here when you swallow your pride and let people know you are actually human.

Why am I a great mom? I recognize that failing at it is not only okay, but normal and expected. I don't expect my kids to be perfect and they need to know I can't be expected to be perfect either. They have bad days and so do I.

I feel good knowing I am trying to be the best mom I can be...TODAY. I don't worry about yesterday and don't waste my time thinking about tomorrow's performance. I live in the Mommy Moment and do my best. Some days I succeed and Master Motherhood and others, not so much.

The actual definition of Mastering Motherhood differs depending on what the day brings. Some days, I just want my kids to smile and be happy. Other days, making the bus will suffice. In my world, Mastering Motherhood changes every day. We all have a different definition of what it means to be a Mommy Master. Success to one mom may be a failure to another and vice versa.

When we have those days we label ourselves Mommy Disasters instead of Mommy Masters, all we can do is pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and try again tomorrow. It's not about beating ourselves up but instead figuring out what we could have done better. All bad parenting days are learning opportunities. Were the kids over-tired and over-scheduled? Did we let work life stresses bleed into home life? Did we fight with our spouse and lose patience with our children due to our bad mood?

We can't harp on our downfalls and should definitely celebrate our successes, whatever our definition of parenting successes are. Did you figure out how to get three kids to their after school activities on time, all at different locations? WOO HOO! Did you figure out how to fit in a workout? NICE! Did you make your deadline at work and help your kid finish their school project? Celebrate everything!

When I was a little girl, I couldn't wait to be a mom, in fact I always knew I wanted three kids. Now I have three boys and while parenting is certainly exhausting and challenging, I wouldn't change it for the world. I literally feel like I gave birth to my three best friends. Remind me I said that when they are driving me nuts!

My kids have changed my life in so many amazing ways. In fact, they inspired my whole business. I actually never knew what I really wanted to do when I grew up until I was a mom. It took me 30 years to figure it out. Ten years later, my kids still inspire me every day. Sounds so cheesy but it's actually true.

They have definitely taught me the lesson of failure. Failure was always a bad word growing up and even as an adult. Who wants to be labeled as a failure? No one. Now, as a mom, it doesn't bother me. Just like I tell my kids, as long as you tried your best, you succeeded, even if you failed. If I know I tried my best at being their mom one day, that is good enough for me and I hope good enough for them.

So...in summary, I am a great mom because I know the value of failing at it. If we didn't have bad days, how would we appreciate the good ones?

Together We Can Master Motherhood™...and Failure!

MommyMasters.com

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