The Makings of a Good Mother

To the mom reading this:

Please know that you are doing a great job!

There’s no need to glance over your shoulder to see who I could possibly be talking about. Look right back this way because I’m referring to you…

You with the full-time job and little ones…

You with the bags under your eyes because you were up all night soothing a sick child and kissing a feverish brow…

You who felt like you made so many mistakes today even though your kids would tell a much different story…

You whose kids are all grown, but they find comfort in knowing that you’re just a phone call away…

You with the formula bottle in your hand as you feed your new baby and memorize every dimple and feature on their sweet face…

You who’s taking a little break to read this while you sit to nurse your precious child…

You who just grabbed fast food for dinner, bathed the kids, read them stories, and got them down to bed…

You who took the kids on a fun outing to the grocery store for the ingredients to make an organic, gluten-free meal for dinner…

You who spent your morning and afternoon tied up in meetings and your evening hours trying to soak up every delicious moment with your kids…

You who spent a large portion of your day sorting through laundry, sweeping up crumbs, picking up toys and an even greater part of your day sharing smiles and cuddles with your kids…

You are doing a great job!

It doesn’t matter if you…

breastfeed,

bottle-feed,

work as a stay at home mom,

proudly carry the title of working mom,

homeschool,

serve as president of the PTO,

craft with your kids every chance you get,

get anxious when the glitter and glue are brought out,

hate Pinterest,

love Pinterest,

or fall on any other side or the other of the notorious “mommy wars.” (That includes the most recent leggings vs. anti-leggings war.)

So what are the makings of a good mom?

You. You’re a good mom, and you really are doing a great job! That praise wasn’t earned because of your parenting ideologies. It comes from the simple truth that you love your kids. And it’s that love that guides your heart down the path to making the best decisions for them, your family, and yourself. Those decisions might be different from the ones another family makes, but there should be understanding instead of contention in that uniqueness.

Love. At the end of the day, that’s all that counts. Kids don’t come with instruction manuals. And there is no secret formula to raising them. You are doing a great job because you love your kids and want the very best for them. Day in and day out, you give them your very best. The rest all falls into place.

Mothers have a tremendous capacity for love. So maybe, just maybe…we could all share a little of that love with another sweet mother who is also doing a great job at simply being a mom! Tell her that she too has all the makings of a good mother!

Do you know what an incredible job you are doing? Claim that declaration and take a moment to encourage another mother today!