What makes a good mom? Three simple things…
By Chani Palindat
By Chani Palindat
"All you need is love" – with a dash of patience, and a pinch of sarcasm to Mom your way through the ups and downs of parenting.
Love makes the world go round, and the same goes for nurturing relationships. It is the most essential thing our babies and children need when growing up. Love makes BooBoo's better, comforts after a nightmare, and gives the tea party extra magic. Love makes all the moments wonderful, memorable, and manageable… It even makes the midnight pukefest somehow less horrible. Love so wonderfully made that you are able to love each of your little one's powerfully and uniquely. Love for your child can also be so beautiful and strong, that it helps move you forward from the trauma and tragedy of a loss. A different kind of love that surpasses understanding. Because, a mother's love is forever.
Of course there is also love's partner – patience. Patience plays an important role in a mom's parenting arsenal. It gets her through the fifty "why" questions in a row, saves the day when the cereal has been dumped all over the floor, and lends a helping hand when your toddler has discovered how to take their poopy diaper off. It helps you out in the middle of the night when your baby is crying and awake for the tenth time and all you want to do is get some sleep. Patience has helped many mothers from losing their cool, and erupting into the volcanic rage-fest of a tantrum that they are tempted to throw themselves when their final straw has been obliterated. We all have had those horrible moments where we lose our cool. But thankfully we have patience for those other moments, the moments when we aren't hiding in the bathroom eating something sugary or crying while hugging the toilet. Hey! We're human!
And last but not least, laughter. Laughter is a mom's best friend and sometimes coping mechanism. Sarcasm is my go-to when dealing with questions that are completely obvious, and you have already exhausted all other approrpriate responses. "Mom, can I please go climb that tree?", "Sure… But don't climb too high or the eagles will take off with you. We're having hamburgers for dinner and I don't want any leftovers". It also comes in handy when you need to gently remind your child to complete a task you have set out for them, such as brushing their teeth. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize your toothbrush had an auto-dry setting for after you brushed your teeth!" Sarcasm evens works for all the times pregnant mamas are asked if they know what they're expecting… "Well, I had thought we were having a baby but it could very well be a Cabbage Patch Doll." Laughter gets you through toddler tantrums, when all you can do is turn around and silently laugh at their floor flailing because their sticker wouldn't stay on their forehead. It eases the stress lines from your face and replaces them with laugh lines. Laughter is what we remember, what makes our family richer, what makes our days brighter.
So here is my recipe of what it takes to be a mother that conquers the craziness and claims victory in the calm of the storm…
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Patience
1 Cup Laughter
3 HEAPING Cups of Love
1/2 Cup Sarcasm
1 Tbsp Chocolate (or substitue alchohol)
1 Tsp Sense of Humour
1/2 Tsp Friendship & Community (we used momstown)
Dash of Babysitter
DIRECTIONS
Combine ingredients together in a well timed manner. When thoroughly blended and warmed, frost with wisdom. Garnish with coffee beans.
