I actually just wrote about this over at my other blog, about what it takes to be a good mother. I just stumbled on this guest post over at Zen Habits, a life and productivity blog that I read pretty much every day. It has some great advice for new moms, or even moms who just a reminder that being a good mom is as much about taking care of yourself as it is about the kids. A few things I would add to that post:
- Time goes by fast, but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t cherish every moment. When my daughter was a few months old and would have these crying fits during the day, everyone told me, “Oh, it all goes by so fast. Enjoy these days.” I’d think to myself, “Enjoy what?” Now that she’s a little older and doesn’t have those supreme crying fits all the time, I can enjoy motherhood a lot more. But that doesn’t mean I look back fondly on hearing a baby scream for hours on end. Oh, no. That will never happen.
- Get involved in your child’s life. This should be one of those, “Well, duh,” tips, but really it’s not. By getting involved, I mean really taking the time to know what (and who) is in your child’s life. Do you know the kids in her daycare room? Do you know what time of day she takes her naps or how often she gets sick? Can you name one or two teachers (other than her own) at her school? That’s what I mean by getting involved.
What else would you add to this list? What makes a good mom?