I know many women who dreamed of being moms most of their lives. I was not that girl.
I was the girl who dreamt of a corner office with a nice salary to match.
But dreams change and now I’m the VP of Conway Enterprises instead.
However, being a mom still doesn’t come naturally to me. I love my daughter and can’t wait to meet my new little girl in a couple of months. But I know there are a lot of areas I could improve in molding these little creatures into wonderful women.
If you need home-cooked meals, I’m there.
If you need a mostly clean house and clean laundry, I’m there.
But beyond that, I’m really just winging it, and in 2018, I would like to be more intentional with motherhood.
More enjoying every day and less looking forward to naptime/bedtime.
But where do I even start? Great question.
Let’s take a look at these 5 ways we can be better moms this year.
- Make time, even when you do not feel like you have it, to make more memories.
Sunday evening drives on country roads with music playing, morning breakfast on the back porch, sleeping out under the stars on the deck, candlelight and music to celebrate eating together. (paraphrased from Sally Clarkson) - Be available.
“What if you missed hearing the best part of your child’s day because you were on the phone? What if you missed a chance to inhale the sweet scent of your energetic child because you insisted on folding that basket of laundry before bedtime? What if you missed a chance to console your worried spouse because of your mile-long to-do list?” (Rachel Macy Stafford, Hands Free Mama) - Tame your temper.
“You ARE NOT the only mom who’s ever lost it with her kid. Hang in there weary moms, you are not alone. Temper tantrums by moms are taboo. And yet temper IS an issue for us moms. And we better start talking about it if we want to have any hope of beating it.” (Lisa-Jo Baker) If this is something you struggle with, take a look at Lisa-Jo’s post with 10 things to do differently before you lose your temper. - Use loving words.
“Our words have a powerful effect on others. Words can be cutting and painful, but they can also be respectful and life-giving. We must teach our kids to use their words in a positive way, building up others rather than tearing them down. The words “I love you,” are often neglected because we assume everyone in the family knows that we love them. As moms, let’s determine that we are going to speak these three words more often, and then let’s encourage our family members to do the same.” (Karol Ladd) - Make Jesus the focus of your mothering.
“But at the heart of it all, we must take our noses out of textbooks and delve into the Book to gain God’s perspective of raising and educating a child. We must become more concerned with their souls than their brains. A child’s smarts can help them go places in life, but the character reflected from their soul is what will determine whether or not they do anything significant once they get there.” (Lysa TerKeurst, Am I Messing Up My Kids?)
Frankly, keeping your pantry stocked with fruit snacks and taking your kids on regular dates are much easier to do than these 5 things.
But if we only do one thing differently this year, let’s commit to praying that God will help us to be the moms our kids need and that our kids would love Jesus.