The gorgeous Zara from Mojo Blogs tagged me in this a few weeks back, but I’ve actually found it quite difficult to write. I think it’s the critic in me – it’s so much easier to think about the ways I totally don’t rock at being a mum than look at all the reasons I do. It’s stupid because when I look at my three boys, I know I’m doing a bloody good job most of the time.
I rock motherhood because…
My boys are happy. I know they are happy because they tell me all the time they are happy and they pretty much always have a smile on their faces. They have an enthusiasm for life and for having fun.
My boys love learning. I try and make an effort to learn something new every day, even if it is just a random and insignificant fact. I’ve tried to pass on my love of learning to the boys and it seems to have worked. They love to read, they love to ask questions and find out about the world around them.
My boys know that I don’t know everything. They sometimes ask questions and I have absolutely no idea what the answer is. Children often have a tendency to think that adults know everything, and I think it is important for them to know that’s not the case.
My boys have beautiful manners. Even on their worst days, when they are destroying the house and driving me insane, I cannot fault their manners. They are constantly complimented on them by their teachers and even complete strangers.
My boys are relatively well behaved. Yes, they have their moments where they are rolling around the floor, leaving a trail of destruction behind them and basically being royal pains in the arses, but on the whole, they’re good kids.
My boys understand respect. Harrison has got to the age where he sometimes gives us a bit of backchat now, but he knows when enough is enough. They treat their teachers, their after school club leaders, their friends and people out and about with respect.
My boys know that people are all different. They’ve had friends of all skin colours, religions and races. They have friends who have severe disabilities. To them, those children are exactly the same as them and are treated no differently.
My boys are independent. There’s no helicopter parenting going on here. I refuse to sit and play with them and entertain them every second of every day – I have to work and I also sometimes just want to sit down and have a break. They can play by themselves when I want them to and create their own fun.
My boys see me work hard. I spend too long at my laptop sometimes, but it’s all for them. I want them to have nice things but I also want them to see that to get nice things, you have to work for it.
My boys know that I am doing the very best I can. I don’t always make the right choice. I sometimes lose my shit at them. They sometimes watch too much TV. I sometimes let them eat crisps for lunch and far too many chicken nuggets and frozen hash browns. But their lives are filled with laughter, fun and plenty of love, and that’s what really matters.
How do you rock motherhood?
