The dictionary actually has a definition for the term “supermom”:

“an exemplary mother …. and ….a woman who performs the traditional duties of housekeeping and child-rearing while also having a full-time job.”

Well guess what, I hate laundry more than your average mom and there are more dust bunnies bouncing around in my house than I can count, so… I guess … according to the internet I kinda suck.

But let me tell you… that my kids think I’m super mom not because I can keep up with the Everest-sized laundry piles that reside in our living room, or because  I fed them a strictly sugar free/organic diet as babies (btw I didn’t… I fed them what we eat,  and I am happy I did) or because I created Pinterest perfect birthday parties every year (tried, failed and learned that simplicity is the best policy), but because I want to clear our Sunday calendar and savour the day with them, or because I can slay a dream dragon with a snuggle.

Growing up I thought my mom was invincible…

Growing up I thought my mom was invincible, like she could solve any problem or make everything ok. To be completely honest, I still believe that sometimes. My mom also worked full-time, cleaned the dance studio at night once-a-week so we could afford to dance competitively and she made us feel like anything we could dream was possible.

She didn’t fall into any of the categories of parenting I started to read about when we had our first baby and that’s why I know that none of that shit matters and that those categories aren’t real or attainable. It does’t matter if you’re style of parenting  is different than mine (which btw I had no idea was even a thing until a couple of years ago … let’s just say that parenting is such a fluid thing that sticking to a particular style might be a bit limiting…especially since babies become teenagers and life’s going to be a whole lot different then). What matters is that your kids know you care and that you will be their superhero when they need it.

So, internet I’m taking back #supermom and redefining something we’ve f***** up.

So, internet I’m taking back #supermom and redefining something we’ve f***** up.  Yup, I’m saying it, we messed this whole idea up and created some kind of unattainable image of perfection for motherhood that is actually making many moms feel like they aren’t enough. Well, it took me three kids and four years to finally say that’s enough and we are enough! I’m saying that we are supermoms, not because we are living up to the “perfectionism” outlined in the ever changing world of parenting handbooks and theories, or because we are doing things the “right way,” but because our kids look to us to save the day when they are scared or unsure, or because we know what they need when they are hungry or tired, or because we can tuck them in after a long day and make them feel safe and to them that makes us superheros.

Regardless of the “type” of mom or “parenting” category you fall into:

• The mother who bottle feeds.
• The mother who breastfeeds.
• The crafty-savy stay-at-home mom who loves sitting down on a raining Wednesday making noodle necklaces with her kids.
• The working mom who runs out the door in the morning dropping off the kids, working a full-day and then picking-up her kids, making dinner and racing to the arena.

I’ve been there, to all of these places (at home and at work and both at once …) and in only four years of being a mom, there have been many times when I’ve felt like I wasn’t enough and I know now that whatever the new parenting trends say that you are, it doesn’t matter, because you are a super mom and need to own that sh**.

So instead of feeling like we aren’t enough, I’m going to list a few reasons why we, the moms of today, the moms bombarded by posts on how to be better, posts on the “perfect” ways to parent your kids and posts on how to do it all, are super moms.

You’re a SuperMom Because …

You’re super mom because you’re fear of so many things dissipates after childbirth. Yup, birthing a baby makes you a badass!

You’re supermom because you advocate for your kids and do whatever it takes to give them the things they need.

You’re a supermom because you care about your kids and love them hard.

You’re a supermom because you can find ways to whip up a dinner with just beans and pasta in the pantry (and sometimes people will eat it).

And you’re supermom because your kids  come to you when they have nightmares, because you are the one who can make it better.

So let’s look at the things that we are amazing at mamas, because I don’t have the time or energy for the guilt, or to compare my baby’s feeding preferences or sleep schedules and know you don’t either.

Let’s change the dialogue a bit and look at things from our children’s eyes, let’s look at what we are doing right instead of replaying the things we did wrong, let’s snuggle up on the sofa and enjoy movie night with our kids instead of worrying about screen time, and let’s cheer each other on rather than bring each other down because this mommying gig aint easy and we need to celebrate the wins, all of them!

 

#iamsupermom  #mykidthinksimsupermom