Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Being Confident in your choices in Motherhood

Our prayers are with everyone in Moore, OK today.  I have been devastated for the damage done there but houses can be rebuilt. I am GRIEVED for all the lives lost - especially the children.  Please keep praying for the families affected.  I have friends who are from Moore and it really hits home. 
Praying God's comfort and peace over that city. 




Today is all about being confident in your choices in Motherhood.

OUCH. This can be a TOUGH one.


I'm one of those first born, strong willed children who never struggled much with choices. I see black and white and I can normally make decisions and feel good about them.  I never really struggled much with peer pressure.

Until I became a mother. That's a WHOLE new form of peer pressure that teenagers just THINK they have the market cornered on.

I honestly had NO idea that every single choice in motherhood seems to bring controversy and competition and feelings of uncertainty and defeat.  I was a little overwhelmed when I first had Harper to say the least. But as time as gone on - I've realized that I (and Scott and I as a team) make choices for our children that we believe are for the best and they aren't for everyone and they aren't always what everyone else is doing but I have to stick to my guns because I know my children best and I know what our priorities are.

Sometimes I know it can be tough to be the only mom in your circle of friends doing formula when everyone else is nursing (or vice versa).  Or maybe you are the only working mom in a sea of stay at home moms (or the only SAHM in a circle of working moms) and you feel like maybe you made the wrong decision or maybe your aren't doing the right thing.

But families aren't cookie cutter.

I haven't struggled with too many choices yet because I just know who I am as a mom and who I'm not.  For instance - I know (we all know) that my girls don't sleep well and yes - I'm partly to blame because I just CAN NOT do CIO. CAN NOT. But I'm okay with that and I also give kudos to those moms who can and their kids sleep 15 hours at a time from 6 weeks on. I hate them a little (or a lot) but I know that that is just not me.

I refuse to let myself get in any kind of race on time tables like when to potty train or when to take the paci away or how soon my children are reading versus others because I know it all levels about around age 6 and eventually all kids will be going to the bathroom without a pacifier and reading books. ha! And it won't matter exactly what month it started.  I can feel a little pressure when I know several kids in Hollis' class are already potty trained but I also know she doesn't have interest yet and we waited with Harper and it was SO easy because she was SO ready.

Lately because our kids are getting older - I think the biggest parenting choice struggle has been schooling.  My friends are all choosing different things and sometimes I feel a little left out or like I'm doing the wrong thing but I feel very confident that what we are choosing to do is what I feel is exactly what our girls need and what will be best for them.  I can't worry about everyone else.  And who knows - it could obviously change. They aren't even in school yet and it could be something we have to revisit.

I think the important thing is to support other mothers in their decisions and not make anyone feel like they are WRONG just because they are DIFFERENT than you.


At the end of the day - the only people I really need to worry about is these two little girls. 

And I'm confident that no one loves them more.

I hope you will link up and share!!!
(And we will have a list of new topics for the summer out soon!!!)


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