On top of parenting responsibilities -- and their subsequent time management frustrations -- comes an unspoken pressure new moms put themselves under.

My son's preschool celebrates the kids' birthdays not by devouring nut-free sweet treats, but inviting the parents in to read their child's favorite book aloud to the class.

My son turned 4 over the weekend, and I read "Llama Llama Loves to Read" to his class this morning. Feeling somewhat out of my element as a pretend teacher flipping through pages of the storybook to eager-to-listen 3 and 4-year-olds, I also felt at ease. I felt at ease to be wrapped up in a moment my son may or may not forget, but nonetheless, I was part of. I was proud to be there for him just as much as I was proud to be there for me.

And it got me thinking. If we focused more on being present with our kids instead of trivial matters like what we're wearing compared to the other moms at drop-off or wondering how they're going to spend the next four hours away from their kids in contrast to how we are, we would all breathe so much easier.

From one modern mom to the next, my advice is to spend less time looking at the feeds of "perfect" mom bloggers on Instagram, and more time putting puzzles together with our kids.

Because when you start living in the moment -- even the bad moments -- you realize your little kids aren't going to be little kids forever. I realized that today. So, I'm going to make more of an effort to be the person my little boy is excited to call mom.

XOXO,

Ashley