When I Love Being a Mom

Welcome to Mom Motivation Mondays where weekly contributing writers share their motherhood experiences to encourage you to find the joy in being a mom.

{This week: Post by Melissa Lawrence}

I really do love being a mom, but being a mom is a full-time job! There are no holidays or lunch breaks and vacations can more aptly be called “trips.” As mom, your roles include nurse, counselor, cheerleader, teacher, coach, manager, and disciplinarian. These roles overlap and knowing which one to tap into is not always clear.

Because being a mom can be so topsy, turvy, I thought it would be fun to get back to basics and reflect on the reasons I love being a mom. Weigh in below with yours and we’ll get an inspiring discussion going. Here are mine:

Moments When I Love Being a Mom

Hugs and kisses: Is there anything better than a big hug from your kid after a tiring day? These priceless moment harken back to the first time I held each of my babies in the hospital. Take advantage of these moments now, mamas, before your children leave the nest (or even worse, turn into teenagers!)
Seeing your kids accomplish their goals: I love passing by my fridge every morning. If you’re like us, those fridge magnets are holding up much more than just the week’s grocery list. They display your kid’s artwork, cards they’ve drawn, or even an occasionally glowing report card.
Learning from them about learning: My boys love history and they whetted my appetite for more knowledge of the Roman Empire, geography, and World War II. Frequently stumped by their questions, I resort to Wikipedia on the sly. As they ask, I learn. This keeps me challenged and engaged.
Quiet moments: As mother of five, I find quiet moments hard to come by and cherish bedtime reading to my kids. With my child on my lap and a good book spread in front of us, I’m in heaven. Over time, I’ve come to realize that the most important thing about family is simply being together and supporting each other. Books bring peace and provide something to learn from and bond over. Make them part of your daily routine. Think of this: 10 minutes a day of reading equals 70 minutes a week, 3920 minutes a year or 65 hours! That a lot! Oh, here’s a video about the values of reading to kids that I hope will interest you all.
Watching them become big people: Perhaps the best part of being a parent is seeing your children grow into more mature people and show — in moments — kindness and respect towards others. I have always been a stickler about teaching manners to my kids, so it really warms my heart to see my child offer his seat on the bus to an elderly person, or open a door for a woman pushing a stroller or carrying groceries. If I can make my boys into gents, a happy mama I shall be.

What have been your favorite moments since becoming a mom?

Melissa Lawrence, founder of CloudMom, lives in New York City with her husband and 5 young children. With a few parenting tricks up her sleeve, Melissa posts how-to videos and blogs for parents on a range of issues including baby, toddler, kids, fashion, travel, and well-being.