Can you believe it’s that time of year again? Mother’s Day is just around the corner and as far as I am concerned it’s as special as Christmas Day!
Mumma’s it is true, the days are long (especially from 3:30pm onwards) but the years are short. You do so much that goes unseen but not to me, and not to your fellow mum’s.
We know the tiredness that you wake up to, after a long night tending to your baby or fever ridden child.
We know that you cleaned the house twice today but your toddler is quicker than you and has turned it upside down again.
We know that some nights toasties are on the menu for dinner and let’s be honest what kid doesn’t enjoy carbs and cheese.
The truth is, Motherhood is one of the toughest jobs to undertake and as we also know… it is one that doesn’t come with pay and must be done with love.
So let me appreciate you.
I see you mumma, you’re up at the crack of dawn, unpacking the dishwasher, making breakfast, putting on a load of washing, remembering that you forgot to take the bins out, so your out there with 2 seconds to spare dragging that bin behind you because the thought of another week passing is just too much! You’re up making school lunches before bed, you’re making beds, folding laundry, rotating laundry, dressing little adorable (and also tantrum chucking) humans, loving them, holding them, feeding them (AGAIN), cleaning up after them (AGAIN), shopping with them (WAH), taking them to the doctors, their friends house, your friends house. You are a real life superhero.
On top of all of that you possess magical healing powers and with just one kiss you can heal an ‘ow-ie’. Your love has no limits when it comes to your children, and even on the hardest of days, you still show up because you’re amazing. Your children are the most valuable jewels you will ever have around your neck and you know this – so you hug them often but some days you beat yourself up for feeling overwhelmed and on those days please remember it’s normal. Without those days we wouldn’t appreciate the magical ones.
Perfect parent? Or good parent?
When you first have a baby, it’s a pretty intense transition to say the least. We are bombarded with so much change and lots of advice from well meaning people. We are still healing and experiencing so many firsts ourselves. What is most important is that you know that there is no such thing, nor has there ever been the perfect parent. You can try of course or you can learn from many parents findings. The verdict is… in being a good parent is way more achievable AND way more fun!
So here are some truths for a mother in any season she may find herself in: It’s ok to break routine, it’s ok to make mistakes, it’s ok for you to take a break. If you need to order Uber Eats because your focus for that day was to stay awake and love your children, then you are doing an AWESOME job! So long as you are showing up and doing what you can with the circumstances that you find yourself in then what more can one ask. Be kind to yourself.
Own them experiences.
Motherhood is messy business. You will be pooped on, vomited on and pee’d on. You will wear bags under your eyes and figure out the art of the mum bun. Day by day, year after year, you will dive deeper into motherhood. It will, at times, get on top of you and then other days you will feel like the superhero you are. Whatever you do, be sure to also do it for yourself as much as for your child. Yes we are raising our children, but let’s not forget that we are still living our lives and learning, so technically raising ourselves. Be kind and have fun along the way!
I’m not alone.
It sure can feel like we are alone at times but thankfully these days we have social media, which hands down, is an amazing tool for mothers if used correctly. If you feel alone, then chances are there is another mother out there that feels the same way. Together, this is your opportunity to bring back the community! We are pretty happy that MyFirstGym is doing just that around the globe!
We asked some of our mum’s to share some wisdom to their fellow mumma bears:
“Know that you’re only human” I wish I could go back and really soak up that first year… Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, your body has just gone through something HUGE. Give yourself permission to heal. Also that housework isn’t going anywhere (I know because it’s been 10 years and it’s still here) – so pack some snacks and get out of the four walls, that will serve you better than a momentarily ship shaped house (although this Marie Kondo is onto something – maybe we need to start a MK Mothers Group!)”.
“All you need to really focus on is being gentle to yourself while you adjust to this next phase in life” Burn all the books! Every baby is different and so your baby will be too. Babies just want to be cuddled, fed and changed and then cuddled again. Trust your instincts mumma, you’ve got this!”.
“Attend mothers groups” There is a whole lot of loving friendships waiting to be made, let others support you, it’s what helps us all get by”.
“Sing silly songs” and bake all the muffins! The years go by quickly, too quickly! Make time to enjoy the giggles, give yourself permission to say no to the things that can wait”.
We really hope you feel so loved this Mother’s Day, and no matter what, just know that you are doing enough, you are loved and appreciated for all that you do. Take a few moments this Mother’s Day to look around and appreciate your children, but also stop and acknowledge how incredible you really are.
Hugs to you all and don’t forget that if you need a little loving, hit us up because loving is what we do best!