MOTHERHOOD

Motherhood arrives during different stages of a woman’s life. Sometimes expected, but other times unexpected. But no matter what stage… It is always considered a blessing. No woman holds the blueprint on the “perfect parenting” playbook (seriously, does such a thing even exist?), but everyone figures it out, one day at a time (or is it one feeding, one burp, one baby step at a time?).  Each day comes with challenges, but undoubtedly all are outweighed by the rewards. Who better to consult on this matter than the superheroes we lovingly refer to as MOMS?

Let’s hear it from new moms to seasoned grandmoms, and see if others out there share similar experiences…

THE CHALLENGES (enough to make you run away – but you can’t because they need fooood!):

The uncertainty of it all. Not being able to know what to do when it comes to discipling my child, in raising him, basically in everything. Motherhood is a trial-and-error process. Always scared that all my actions and the things I say have an effect on my child. – Cheenee, single mother to a 2-year-old boy

How to manage time in which to get necessary things done, including preparing for my teaching, not to mention keeping the house running smoothly. Frank (husband) was my biggest help in that department. Having your support system in place is crucial.  And one of the hardest parts was keeping my second guessing in control; I had to gain confidence as a mom.  Having moms as friends helped. Now, as a grand mom having grand moms to consult with, is important. My very best support started when my children were 4 & 3, respectively.  I found my Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior; then the Holy Spirit guided me, through His Word, and through His Body, the church, to a place of love and confidence in my role as a mom and grandmom.  – Gail, mother of two, grandmother of one

One of my challenges is remaining present. It’s easy to get caught up in what needs to get done for the day when all that should matter is spending quality time together playing and learning. – Rochelle, 1st time mom of an almost 1-year-old boy

ALL ABOUT TIME (where can we find more of it?):

The most challenging would be the lack of personal freedom to do the things I’m used to doing in my work and play, but his little face makes up for it. – Dawn, 1st time mother of 13-month old baby boy

It’s balancing everything else on top of being a mom. – Angelique, 1st time mom to a 2-month old baby boy

Never ending commitment, no breaks, no holidays, no time outs. – Eder, mother of four

LET’S TALK ABOUT BOUNDARIES (and being a good example):

The most challenging part is saying NO. It’s hard to say No, but setting boundaries builds character like resilience, patience, and self-control. – Ayin, mother of two boys

It is so challenging to me because I have to be consistent and live by example to my kids. My actions should always align on what I have taught them.  Mom is the first teacher to their children. – Ellen, mother of three boys

Sometimes the challenges can’t be boxed into a single thing, but rather a whole experience as defined by our two mothers below:

Both personally and professionally I am a creative and an artist. For me that can take a lot of space and quiet to let that creative energy flow in and for me to process it into something physical. Motherhood is extremely loud. Kids are loud in the house at all ages but also the level of mental gymnastics I have to do as a mom is very loud in my head. It’s been a slow process to reimagine what I need for creative space in order to function as a human and a better mom. – Christen, mother of two young girls

For me motherhood is a learning experience altogether. You can always do what others do, but never really know what truly works best. All I can say is being authentic with your kids is the best advice I can ever give. Don’t go with the norms of what society does and definitely doing what our parents did to us isn’t always the best. Since I’m a mother of all girls, using my heart to face every obstacle is truly important. – Christine, mother of three girls

…and sometimes it is just really the stinky, sticky stuff like poop that defeats mothers all over the world on the daily. 💩

THE REWARDS (worth every spit and poop filled diapers – well, almost):

The Unconditional Love:

While there are so many rewards, I love the way your child looks at you with so much love and trust that I want to be the best version of myself so I can be the best example.  – Rochelle

To love and be loved immensely and unconditionally . – Anna, mother of 2

The Stinking Cute Face (and all other body parts):

The most rewarding aspect is hard to put into words… just looking at their little face every day brings so much joy and delight. And toes… his toes are the best! – Dawn

Rewarding is seeing him grow bigger, healthier and knowing he understands us. And it’s actually rewarding to see him poop a lot because it means he ate a lot! – Angelique

That Priceless Pride:

The most rewarding feeling of fulfillment is that I am raising my child the way I want him to be. Seeing him thrive in everything he does. – Cheenee

To be blessed in knowing that you have created such beautiful, kind, and loving human beings. As parents we discover and learn new things about our children as they grow into the different stages of their lives, you learn to appreciate, adapt, and accept things as they unfold.  – Anna

The bond I created with my kids is the most rewarding aspect of being a mom. From the moment I carry them in my tummy to giving them birth, breastfeeding, sleepless nights, and bringing them to school and sports practice, seeing them do what I taught them and become independent is both rewarding and a struggle. – Ayin 

The most rewarding aspect of being a mom – is to see my kids practice what I have taught them. The faith I share with them and seeing them grow in their faith is so rewarding – that’s the legacy I want my kids to keep. As we know we are encouraged by the scripture in Prov. 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” – Ellen 

Witnessing them grow, develop and learn, in all aspects of their lives. Seeing my “mini me”- a reminder of myself and their behaviors and upsets; these moments can be fun most of the time, but there are also moments I can’t handle. – Eder

The most positive experiences involve the brand-new feeling of being a grand mom. I have several friends who have been that for quite a while, and sometimes more than once.  However, I had no idea of how deeply joyful it would be to hold my daughter’s child. And how filled with awe I was.  Every new thing he does is amazing, too, and the speed at which Tanner does new things is quite miraculous to me. I am so very glad to be a Mom & Grand Mom; it has made my life so rich in so many ways. – Gail

THE TRUTH (with a sprinkle of sugar and spice):

It’s a constant reminder that you’re capable of more than you ever thought possible (physically, emotionally, mentally, and all sorts of feels that end in “ly”!), and that sometimes, a good cry and a glass of wine are the only things that can get you through the day. And let’s not forget the incredible support system (it takes a village, they say). So, to all the moms out there, here’s to you! Cheers to the coffee-fueled warriors, the poop-patrol, and the snack making boredom-slayers. You all might have endless sleepless nights (it does not stop when your kids are babies I heard), tons of anxiety attacks and tear inducing moments, but I know, you wouldn’t all trade this wild ride for anything. ❤️