I’m just going to go ahead and say the thing that maybe I’m not supposed to say because it doesn’t sound proper. I’m a darn good mother! It might give you the impression that I have it all figured out, and that I’ve got my stuff together, which I don’t.  Most days I feel like anything but a good mom.  I don’t always follow the rules I read about in magazines or baby books.  When my son was first moved to his crib, I didn’t let him cry it out. (Gasp I know!) I didn’t wait until he cried himself to sleep, because for some reason 5 minutes felt like an hour, and I just couldn’t do it.  Instead, I went in and soothed him.  He is 13 now, and he seems to have turned out ok.  There were times when I let my daughter come in my room and snuggle with me in the middle of the night even though I “should” have walked her back to her own bed, but guess what?  She is sleeping just fine in her own bed now and I miss her cuddles.  I must admit to you that there are times when I don’t let me kids learn that very important lesson of responsibility when they have forgotten their lunch at home or shin guards for a big game.  I think you are “supposed” to let them go through the natural consequence of maybe buying the school lunch and then not eating it, or not playing at the game.  It is 100% important to me that my kids are responsible adults, yes.  But, I might run to Academy one hour before a soccer game to grab those shin guards, and then cheer my son on once the ref blows that whistle.  As far as lunch is concerned, my daughter might have gotten half of my sandwich and some of my grapes.

I don’t do everything I am supposed to.  I do beat myself up about it sometimes, and wonder if I am doing it all wrong.  Am I messing up my kids? I replay the day in my head once my kids are asleep and I wonder if I could have done something different, or “should” I have done something another way instead.

Yea, I don’t seem to do a lot of the things I am “suppose” to do.  I do have full on concerts in the car with my daughter after I pick her up from dance.  And I have long conversations with my son about his school day and things he wants to accomplish.  I run with him, slowly and a bit behind even though I don’t feel like it because I’d rather him not run alone at night. Even though I might break the “rules” sometimes, and make up my own.  I’m a darn good mother.  Because I’m doing the best I can the best way I can for my family.  At the end of the day, I am a darn good mother because I tried.  To all the mothers out there today, and every day, Happy Mother’s Day.  We are darn good!