1. Go to God first. I need to be in the Word and in prayer constantly. He created my kids and he created me to be their mom. Why would I consult anyone else when challenged? This doesn't mean I'm reading the bible daily like I should but I am always trying to be better about it.
2. Never compare. Never ever compare. Every mom, kid, husband and family are unique. Admire but don't envy. I don't know what is going on behind closed doors. Things may look perfect on the outside but they rarely are. No mom has it easier. No mom does it better. We're all different. We all have our faults. We all have our insecurities. We all need Jesus. All the time.
3. Go with my gut. I am the boss of my kids. Not the doctor, not the popular parenting books, not my family or my friends. I am the one who knows my kids best. I spend every waking minute with them. I know when something is off and when they are just fine. It has taken a while to realize that everyone has an opinion and that's cool but my mommy instincts are better than any piece of advice I'll ever get. The fact that those instincts are so razor sharp leads me to believe that it's probably the Holy Spirit whispering in my ear and I should probably listen.
4. I need help. No, I don't need a shrink. I need friends, family and Hubby in order to raise these kids. (This includes my church family) It takes a village! I have been so blessed with all three. I don't know how anyone does it alone. I wouldn't dare to try. As far as I'm concerned, it is impossible. And it doesn't make me tougher or more awesome if I handle so much that I start to lose it. That just makes me stubborn and stupid.
5. I need an outlet, something that is fun for me. Right now, it is this blog. Usually it is running or some kind of exercise. Too tired these days. I need something that makes me feel like I am more than just a mommy. And while being a mommy is a huge part of who I am, I'm still Amie. I need to grow in other ways while I'm growing as a mom.
6. I can't take this mom thing too seriously. Kids don't take life seriously. Why should I? Yes, I'm shaping them but why does everything have to be such a serious topic? How is my baby sleeping, eating, walking, talking, behaving, learning, reading, writing and on and on. That child will grow at her own pace and I don't have as much to do with it as I once thought. If I just step back and let her be, I can actually enjoy seeing her blossom into a little lady. I need to let the small things go like matching outfits and tidy hair. If they want to wear their pj's to the store, who cares? If they fall in that giant puddle at the park, it's all good, I have extra clothes in the car. Kids need room to breathe and grow. Have fun!
7. Those older people were actually right when they said that time would fly by with my little ones. It started out like a slow rolling ball but that ball has picked up speed over the last few years and it is not slowing down. Seeing the time fly by makes the little things like being woken up at 3:00AM to a hungry 7 month old not as annoying as it was with the first one. In fact, I don't mind so much waking up to that smile. I'm going to blink and she'll be sleeping in a big girl bed telling me she doesn't wanna get up and go to preschool.
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