Motherhood is a fantastic, beautiful, stressful, radiant, challenging, rewarding, nurturing, worrying, incredible, breathtaking process. It’s also very hard work. There are no mothers on this Earth who, as long as they take care of their children, aren’t admirable in some deep sense. Without mothers, this world would be much darker than it is today. The challenge of motherhood is never over. It’s just part of having children. But on the same coin, the beauty of motherhood is never over either.
However, to tackle these challenges, we can all use a little advice. There are manuals to motherhood, but none of them, even the longest ones, are close to comprehensive or conclusive. Motherhood is a lifestyle, not a singular act. It’s a purpose, not a task. As your child grows, the challenges you will face with them should shift and become new.
For that reason, it’s always best to keep these stock attitudes, so you can tailor these challenges to the solution you need:
Presence
Simply being present can help you apply yourself to the situation more appropriately. As long as you take an active role in the life of your child, you cherish them, and you work through the issues together, you can overcome anything that happens. Good and bad are both bound to happen, and can absolutely influence your decision making in the long term. But it’s very important to keep in mind the reality that there’s nothing you can’t weather. Even terrible news can be alleviated when you are with them, and they are with you. That’s the true beauty of family, and your potential as a mother.
Presence might simply mean adjusting your schedule so you have more time with your children. It might mean taking the step to be a stay-at-home mother, or to simply reduce your working hours in order to ensure a healthier work-life balance. It might even be staying open to the option of raising a family in the first place, because while this isn’t right for some people, many can find real value in living this way, even if they from ConceiveAbilities, or the fact that they are adopted, or that their half-sisters are actually from a different father. Truth can help purge the worries of a familial situation, and put everyone on the same page. If you apply it wisely, the family can be much more open with one another, and no one will ever need to tread on eggshells.
Self-Care
A mother who cannot care for herself is a mother who gets burned out. You are an important part of the family too, you know. Part of motherhood is of course being nurturing and maternal, but you can’t expect to give everything of yourself all the time without needing some serious R&R. So be sure to do that! Even just a little break from time to time can help you return with energy. Children are hard work. Pretending they’re not can simply make you become irritable when things happen, and the tests of childhood seem to rear their head.
Sleep well. Exercise, even lightly. Eat correctly. You deserve to nurture your body and mind just as you hope to do for your children. This might sound like an extra person to take care of, so don’t be afraid to open up to your partner or friend about the struggles you’re going through. It’s not uncommon for women who bottle things up to fall into depression among many other things, and sometimes that’s not a rational form of mallady to fall into in the least. Stay on top of your own health, as if you’re healthy and active, you can apply yourself more lovingly and effectively to raising your children. Not only that – you’ll enjoy it all the more.
With these tips, motherhood will remain a challenge, but one you can enjoy with all of your heart, and one that will nourish your life in a profound sense.