Hello Macaroni Mama!
Mama life is hard; you are solely responsible for another little human (or two, or three, or..). It is so easy to get down on your self, to question yourself, and to take it a little too seriously since it is a HUGE responsibility. I am telling you, you are doing a great job- keep up the amazing work BUT don’t forget to enjoy every moment because the days are long but the years are short.
12 Tips for being a Happy Mom:
- Do what is best for YOU and YOUR child.
It doesn’t matter what your mom or mother-in-law THINKS you should be doing. The grandma at the grocery store, well she means well, but again it doesn’t matter what advice she is trying to give you. People staring, who cares? Every child and family is different, the only RIGHT way of parenting is what you believe is best for your sweet child and your family. Honestly, a lot of things I do now, I THOUGHT I would NEVER do. Who’s with me? So, just smile and do you.
- Let them be little! Dirt washes off and messes can be cleaned up (every 5 minutes (: )
It does not matter how hard you try to keep them clean kids do not and will not stay clean. So, why not just embrace the mess and let them have fun! You are going to have to clean them up anyways, don’t stress about it. Bonus, when they are making messes they are actually learning through discovery.
- Focus on the little milestones
When did that outfit stop fitting? When did you grow out of those size 2 diapers? Wait, you only need one nap now? Cue water works! Yes, the big milestones like holding their own bottle, crawling, standing up, walking those are super exciting. BUT the milestones that made me cry the most were the little things like no longer fitting in newborn clothing, dropping naps or no longer falling asleep on my shoulder randomly.
- Let them cry- it is okay
Just because your child is upset and crying does not mean you are a bad mom or you are doing something wrong. Raise your hand if you thought this- Girl, I am right there with you. I never wanted my sweet girl to cry, but you know what it’s okay. They have feelings and sometimes those feelings get hurt when they don’t get what they want. However, they usually do cry for a reason- so if you don’t immediately know that reason (i.e. you just took something they wanted, or they are fighting a nap) then PLEASE get on their level and hug it out until you figure it out.
- Your porridge does not always need to be cold.
You know how Mama Bears porridge is cold in the story The Three Little Bears- I understand the significance behind that now. But it does not have to be that way, take the time to feed yourself warm food, sit down and enjoy a hot cup of coffee and tea- chaos might ensue around you but trust me, its worth it.
- It is okay to still be YOU. What, your lying- I can be? Wait, who am I?
It is so easy to do but don't loose yourself in motherhood. Don't I forget who you are. Being a mom is the most rewarding thing we will ever do, the best job we will ever have and the most blessed we could be, however, we are ALSO young women, wives, creators, adventurers, us.
- Baby Advice Books- don’t read them.
Every child is different, and those books are more like a one size fits all, which is TOTALLY not how it goes. Also, there is so much information in those books that it is SCARY and completely OVERWHELMING especially to new Mamas. If you have a question or are confused by something your best bet is to ask your Pediatrician or a seasoned Mama.
- Follow the Schedule! Jokes! What Schedule?
I am a Type-A personality and I wanted everything to be perfectly scheduled out from Day One- feeding times, nap times, play times etc. HA! Accept that a minute by minute schedule does not work for a baby, toddler or even child, try to follow a consistent rhythm instead. Following a rhythm allows for more freedom in moving the schedule around and take a lot of stress off of you.
- Let your village help- and if you don’t have one FIND ONE!
My husband lovingly calls me Supermom (Ladies I hope you have a Hubby that recognizes what you do all day too)- and although I proudly accept that name I also realize that raising children takes A LOT more than Superpower. It takes multiple people, a whole lot of superpower and lots and lots of PRAYER. It’s scary, it’s overwhelming, it’s anxiety filled, it’s confusing but it’s a whole lot of rewarding! I love every second I spend with my babies, but I also recognize that I sometimes need a moment to pee by myself, shower by myself, or just take a moment to clear my head. If you have a great village or TWO, allow them to help- you will thank yourself later.
- You cannot spoil a baby; you are just meeting their needs! BEST ADVICE EVER.
This is probably my favorite piece of advice right out of my Pediatricians mouth. Some people early on would make comments that we were spoiling our baby because she slept in our room, I didn’t let her cry etc. That is okay everyone can have his or her opinion- but I am going to go with what my Doctor told me and you should too! Spoil away, you are just meeting their needs (:
11. Eat cake on the kitchen floor
Yes, enjoy the little moments even if they are messy! Let them eat the cake, and sit on the floor and enjoy it with them. Those are the memories they will remember forever.
12. Say yes, more than you say no.
Set up your house where it allows for more freedom, freedom of movement, freedom to explore and discover. Pick your battles, let the little things go and say yes.
A happy mama and happy babies is what’s perfect- not the cleanest house, or the coolest toys or the best clothes for our little’s.
Perfection comes in the form of baby giggles, and smiles plastered across little ones faces.
Not to mention if everything is always perfect, your kids won’t have any good stories to tell. And, well that’s just NO fun!
Having fun and loving on your kids is EASY – trying to be perfect is HARD. So, lets all take the easy way out this one time! Yes, you too overachiever I see you! You deserve to take the easy way sometimes too!
