“Remember, you were someone before you were a mom…”
When I became a mom, it was both exhilarating and terrifying. I was over the moon with joy. In the same breath. . . Sure, I taught children of all ages to dance for 15 years, helped coach Summer Swim Team and loved helping friends by babysitting, but what did I know about being a mom? You don’t leave the job at the end of the day or give them back to their parents. You are the parent. Don’t you need a learner’s permit first, like when we’re learning to drive a car!? Up to that point, my entire adult life had been a battle of survival. I had been sick for over 9 years. I worked 4 jobs to make ends meet with medical bills. And I was going to be responsible for a tiny human!? Mind blown. . .
I’m sure many parents can relate. Kids are a game changer; a blessing and a game changer. And that’s exactly what happened. We decided my husband would work a traditional job and that I would work from home part-time and take care of the kids. I became a “Stay-at-home” Mom. I loved this, and still do. I absolutely love both our babies with all of my heart. My life became my children’s life. I forgot about my needs. I felt selfish if I started to wish I could do things. I felt guilty for feeling like I needed a break.
At this point, our daughter is almost 3 and she picks up on everything.
Our children learn constantly by watching and listening. Even though it feels that we’re often talking to a wall, our kiddos are picking it ALL up. They hear it in our attitude, our frustration, our boredom, our depression, etc. If we so badly want a better life for them . . . if we want them to reach for the stars, don’t you think they’ll be more successful if we show them how? Show them it’s possible. Show them that we matter. It’s not selfishness. It’s not our ego. It’s noting that who we are inside matters. We are more than ‘just a mom’. Yes, being a mom is more than a full-time job. However, there’s got to be some sort of balance. It feels like that balance is often unattainable but when we think of it as setting our little ones up for success with a strong example, it becomes a little easier to take that step.
“Remember, you were someone before you were a mom, and that person matters.”
-Unknown
We are parents 24/7, 365 days a year. We are an example for our babies every single day. They see first hand our love, our joy, our positivity. They also see our fears, our disappointments, our missed opportunities. We want the very best for them. We want them to live bigger, better lives than we could ever imagine. So, shouldn’t we show them how to do exactly that by showing them how important being happy is, showing them how to believe in one’s self?
