By Vicki Little
I’m sure I am not the only mom out there who has wondered at some point: “Am I really a good mom?” (I sure hope so! Cue the paranoia.) According to dictionary.com, the definition of a good mom is a female parent that is satisfactory in quality, quantity, or degree. If that’s true, you would only need to get a C to pass the “good parent” class. In reality, you are probably earning an “A” in the eyes of your child. Here are six reasons you are a better mom than you think:
1. Your kids are well-behaved … everywhere but at home: This may seem counter-intuitive, but it really is a compliment to your parenting. You have taught your children well, they know how to behave, and they know what is expected of them. They also know that you love them unconditionally and home is a safe place to learn, make mistakes, and be themselves.
2. You have made mistakes … a lot of them: And you are grateful for the battle scars because they mean you learned something. You learned patience after realizing yelling doesn’t make them hurry. You learned strength after you’ve advocated for them one way or another for years on end. You learned unconditional love after they forgave you when you made a mistake.
3. You do the little stuff: OK, so you lost your temper when little Johnny put the cat in the toilet to give him a bath in the newly crayon-decorated bathroom. But you remembered to put honey on his sandwich just the way he likes it. You know not to kiss him in front of his friends. You always remember to buy the green vitamins because he likes them better than the red. And you can play a mean game of Candy Land, and you’re always willing to be the first seeker in hide-and-seek.
4. You realize you were a better parent before you had kids: Remember when you knew it all? When you had the answer for how the kid throwing a tantrum in a store should be disciplined? When you knew how to keep your kids from EVER being rude to an adult? When you knew EXACTLY how to get a kid to eat their dinner or clean their room or do their homework? I remember. It was about two minutes before I gave birth to my first child.
5. You never give up, but you aren’t perfect either: No child wants a perfect mom who won’t let them wrestle in the living room or explore their surroundings. Their favorite memories won’t be of a spotless kitchen, but rather of the fun they had making cookies with you. They love it when you have to say you are sorry because they realize you are human. They don’t want you to be perfect, knowing you are trying to be a good mom means the world to them. And really, if we don’t know what a perfect mom is, how would they?
6. You love your children on a level you never knew existed: At the end of the day, when you walk exhaustedly past the kids room for one last time, you can’t help but pull up their covers or give them a kiss or just stare at them from the doorway. You cry when they cry. You cry when they succeed. You cry when there is nothing you can do but let them learn the hard way. You just love them. Plain and simple.
Let it out — and have a good laugh. What fun mistakes have you made with YOUR kids?
Vicki Little is a work-at-home mom with two young kids. A Colorado native, she is the Publisher and Editor of Macaroni Kid Aurora and Downtown Denver. When she isn’t writing or trying to keep up with her kids she can be found volunteering, reading, or enjoying a bottle of wine with friends.
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