Today I crossed a few words with a dear old friend, and she told me that I had become a “super mom”. I immediately objected and said that I had a long way to go to become one; but that everyday I learned a lot. Honestly, I see a super mom in my mother, in my mother in law, in my grandmother, in my siblings’ mom (my dad’s kids). But when I see myself I push every second I live and long and dream to be seen like them in the future.
Today I took my son for a walk. Then went to my neighborhood’s park and we danced, we played pretend for a while, we attended speech therapy and we cooked homemade pizza. But, I also left him watch TV for more than two hours, because there was a mess in my kitchen I had to take care of. I gave him the tablet for a while, because I had to see what the handyman was doing in my house. I also let him eat cookies this past few days because it’s the only way he agrees to take his cold medicine. And I would penalize myself for those things. But my son doesn’t have siblings. I did. I had someone to tease when my mother was busy. So I forgive myself daily too, when I have to use technology to give me a hand. But again, what makes a super mom?
Is it long hours doing DIY crafts for kids? Cooking organic healthy meals? Reading paperback or hardcover books to your kids instead of stories out of a tablet? Is it having all the money to give them fun experiences at amusement parks or paid sports’ lessons? Homeschooling them? To me all those things are just part of many different parenting styles and lifestyles. But none of them makes a super mom.
I think to become a super mom you have to love yourself first. Then remember that you were a child once and that you would have wanted your parents or other people to treat you with respect, empathy, compassion, patience, when you were just being a kid. With no clue of the mishaps adults have to live, the tough days, the arguments with the significant other, the money issues, the cultural and social problems that one also carries in the worries’ bag…Childhood. We were all there. Every time I talk to my son I try to see myself as a child in order to say the right words to him as if I was talking to my little me. I admit I am not that meticulous all the time. But I know that I’m doing something right when out off nowhere my son comes to me with open arms and hugs me.
He smiles at me, kisses me. Gosh! I am blessed… I feel like a super mom. I have no idea what issues, tough circumstances you’re living or have scarred you. Even so, if you get hugs, kisses, “I love you” from your little ones, or your teenagers, you should feel like a super mom too. And let me add that we’ll probably look at ourselves in the future and will see the invisible cape flying on our backs, because after all that hard work we thought we had no clue we were doing, we survived, we thrived. We became the super moms other women want to be.
If you found this inspiring, share it with your mom friends too. Tag me on your favorite social media platforms as momdoesitbetter and also let me know your impression about these thoughts I shared. I’d love to read you.
Hugs,
~Edaliz (@momdoesitbetter on Facebook and Instagram)
Mom Does It Better 