Ever since I became a parent, and especially when I was a homeschool parent, I held my mothering skills to a standard. I did not judge myself against those around me, but against one of the most formidable opponents- Good Mom. All mothers know Good Mom- she is the one who ALWAYS serves two vegetables at dinner, never forgets PTA meetings or after school practices, sends nice notes in her children's lunches, and has the perfectly organized Family Calendar displayed with positive encouraging notes, checks for good behavior, and time schedules of where each member of the family is at each time of day. She never yells, always does the laundry before it piles up, and smiles encouragingly at everything her children do. Good Mom- Bah! I hate Good Mom.
Bad Mom is easier to beat, but I dislike her just as much. She yells all the time and never does the laundry. She sends her children to school with no shoes and no jacket and lets them play outside until 10pm at night. Bad Mom never picks anyone up on time and always drops them off late- I don't know what Bad Mom does all day- but she is not doing things right- for sure!
Then there is Me. On some days I am Good Mom, but not usually. Some days I am Bad Mom, but not too many. Most days I am somewhere in between. The beautiful thing about that though, is just that. When I am just me I can enjoy carving pumpkins even though I know the work is piling up. I can make a good dinner so that everyone can sit down together. I can scold when it's necessary and take time to give hugs and go get ice cream and I can be exactly who my children were meant to have as their Mother. When they came into the world, I looked at their little baby faces, fell in love and felt the same thing every mother in the world feels- that I wanted my baby to have the best and be the best. Life does not always give them what we think is Best, but they always get what Is best, for them. If you had to be a superhero to be a mother I do not think very many of us would be parents- and what a sad, empty world that would be.
So, I declare a victory of self: Bad Mom: 0, Good Mom: 0, Me: 3
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3 comments:
i'm glad you're not good mom all the time, but you sure are great mom. you've taught me more than you know.
thanks sis!
You are a FANTASTIC mother, Carrie! Three wonderful, respectful, playful, and care-free children. I challenge someone to be a better mother than you.
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