Today at church a fellow mom told me I was doing a good job and it meant the world to me. Now I’m determined to be that kind of person for other moms too.
Today at church a fellow mom told me I was doing a good job and I almost cried.
A big part of parenting is wondering if we’re doing it right. While it all seems so easy before we have kids, the moment you become a parent you are faced with decisions. Some decisions are little, some are big, but the one thing that is guaranteed is that there will be a lot of them.
Decisions about your child’s care. Their diet. Medical decisions. Decisions about their schooling. Discipline and training (wow is this a big one!) Extracurricular activities. Decisions about family rules . . . . And the list goes on.
Suddenly you realize that parenting doesn’t seem so easy anymore.
Sometimes I think it’s harder for us moms too. My husband can make a decision that he thinks is right and that’s that. I on the other hand will sometimes lie awake at night second-guessing myself. Am I doing this right? Are my kids going to turn out ok?
And then there are days like today when another mom took the time to walk up to me and tell me I was doing a good job.
She was a fellow mom, one who’s a bit farther down the road than me with several kids who’ve grown and left home. She’s been in my shoes. And she took the time to stop and encourage me.
Never underestimate the power of kind words my friends. They are life-giving. (See Proverbs 16:24)
A few months ago I had a good talk with another older-than-me mom about parenting. I candidly shared some of the ways Pablo and I parent that are different than what she and her husband do. She listened, asked thoughtful questions, and shared honestly about why she disagreed with me in some areas.
But at the end of our conversation she gave me a hug and told me – mom to mom – that I was doing a good job. We were able to have a thought provoking conversation, even share disagreements, and I still came away encouraged rather than feeling judged.
As moms we know all to well that we make mistakes. We know we’re not doing everything right. But instead of judgment, we need encouragement like these kind older moms gave to me.
So, I’m writing this now so I can look back at it later and remember:
I want to be that kind of mom. The one who doesn’t judge how other moms do things, but speaks words of life into them and builds them up.
The kind of mom who notices the good and says something about it.
I want to be the kind of mom who takes the time to tell that other mom that she’s doing a good job, even if it almost makes her cry. What about you?
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