Top 3 Ways to Becoming a Better Mom

I am sort of new at this whole “mom thing.” I have a sweet nine month old girl that keeps me on my toes. Some days I feel like I am doing a good job as a mom and other times, well I feel exactly what the above picture states “screwing it all up.”

I am one that looks at other moms and “size myself up” to what they are doing. I ask myself frequently, “should I be doing this like so and so is?” Or “maybe my baby needs that toy like their baby has.” Motherhood comes with so many questions. These past nine months has taught me a lot about myself and what it is like giving 100% of yourself 10000000% of the time! You can try to prepare yourself during the pregnancy days, but nothing, and I mean nothing, can prepare you for what is to come! People will tell you their birthing stories, how they raised their baby, when they let their child do a certain thing, but in the end, every child is different and you, as the mother, knows what’s best for your baby, even when you feel like you screwed up.

So my #1 point is: remember that YOU know what’s best for your child! Your child may need formula along with breast milk. Your child may need to eat solid foods before six months. Your child may need to be held to go to sleep. You may have to co-sleep just so you can get rest. Your child may need their pacifier a lot. Whatever the case may be, people are going to judge your every move when it comes to raising your child, just because you may do it differently than they do. WHO CARES? You are the mother and know what is best for your baby! No two babies are the same!

#2: You are going to make mistakes, but that doesn’t mean you are a bad mom! Don’t stress out over a mistake. This is very cliche, but sometimes we forget that everyone does make mistakes and wrong choices. But it’s OK! Babies bounce back easily and we should learn from them! I made the mistake of giving my nine month old a little bit of whole milk, it stopped her right up and she didn’t poop for two days! She didn’t have any other reactions, I just gave her too much at one time! Learn from the mistakes, and keep going! She finally pooped and we have only been doing 1-2 oz of whole milk a day instead of 6-8 oz!

And lastly, #3: Take a break! It’s OK to spend a little time away from the baby/kids. Listen, sometimes we just need our space! It’s not that we don’t care for our kids, we just need 10-20 mins of time to sit down, breathe, maybe eat something, take a shower, use the bathroom, write a blog post, like I am doing in my alone time (haha!). Don’t feel guilty for needing time for you! Happy mamas make for happy babies, which makes a happy home! So take time for YOU!

A little reminder to the mom who is struggling, you are doing great, that baby sees you trying, even though they may put up a fight. Keep going, you know what’s best for your child, learn from your mistakes and take time for yourself!