Mothering is a Tough Job

Being a mother is incredibly hard.  I never knew just how hard a job it was until I had my own three children.  These days I find myself constantly filled with a new found appreciation for all that my mother did.  I’ve also discovered a new understanding of how she must have felt at times when we all thought she was just going crazy.  Oh I can so relate.

So when Faemom wrote a post this past weekend about 15 Things she learned from her mother,(read her post here) it made me pause and think about the things that my own mother has taught me.

1.  Surprise treats can be something as simple as a tray of hot cocoa and cookies and are guaranteed to get you named as the “cool mom” by your teens and their friends.

2.  Love means letting go even when you want to hold them close.  My mom let me go away for an entire year at the age of 16.  I learned a lot that year but mostly I learned how great my parents were.

3.  It’s okay to play hooky once in a while.  Especially when your science teacher is going to make you dissect a frog and let’s face it you have absolutely no desire to go anywhere in that area of expertise and so a day spent shopping at the mall with your mom instead is an unlooked for blessing. (She also let me skip the pig fetus dissection and the “talk” class in high school)

4. That I may start countless projects and never finish them but one day I will finish them one by one although probably not until my kids are grown.

5. Playing outdoors is the best form of entertainment for kids.  Give them a bag of nails and some wood and watch them build a fort on their own. 

6.  It’s okay to get dirty.

7.  Homemade birthday cakes taste the best. (they’re cheaper too)


8.  A home isn’t a home unless it’s full of children’s photos and knicknacks.

9. To honour one’s parents even though they may not have always done right by you.

10. To be independent and self reliant. Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I have to settle for less.

AND of course,

11. Never leave home without clean underwear.



What have you learned from your mother?



Zeemaid