Motherhood

Recently, I have really been struggling with feelings that I'm not a good mom. I'm sure we have all had that fleeting thought but I have really been believing this lie. Social media truly is the enemy in times like this. I love my kids fiercely but I'm not a good mom because I don't live to do Pinterest crafts daily. I forget to move that darn elf at least 3 times a week. The tooth fairy has been on vacation almost regularly the past 4 times a kid has lost a tooth. I don't like to get on the floor and play pretend.

These are the lies I told myself to justify my feelings of being an inadequate, bad mother. But, as I was confiding these feelings in my husband he brought up a very good point - my identity is not in my children, nor should it be. My identity is in Christ. I don't live FOR my children. I do things for my children. I love my children. I enjoy my children {most of the time}, but I don't surround my entire being around them and that does not make me a bad mom.

Now, I'm not saying if you are religiously amazing about moving the Elf that you're obsessed with your kids - not saying that at all. I'm just saying that my mom status is not determined by the socially expected pressures of this world today.

I may not play hide and seek but I do provide for them. I do read to them nightly. I do take the oldest to dance weekly and sit there for an hour 1/2 when I have 100 other things I could be doing. I do take them to church, even when it's raining and cold outside! I do encourage their relationship with Christ. I do sing and dance with them. And, I do punish them. All of which, I can now see, make me to be a good mom.

Social media is so tough. It's so hard to not compare. It's so hard to not set expectations onto yourself based on the highlight reel of others. It's so hard. But, stop comparing. Stop judging. Stop telling yourself lies. We are all doing the best we can and that's enough. It really is. My kids won't ever grow up knowing what it's like to have a tooth fairy leave money the first night they put their tooth under their pillow. And guess what? They don't know what they are missing! :) Give yourself a break, because I'm giving myself one.

God made me a mom. God doesn't make mistakes. <3 p="">