How do I know if I’m a great parent?

The golden question most mothers ask themselves daily is “Am I a good mom?”. Am I great if my son is satisfied even if he’s sitting content with a pile of leftover Halloween candy before dinner? Am I great if I got him to brush his teeth against his own will but at least the dentist is happy? The daily struggle of parenting greatness is exhausting.

There is no doubt, my kids come first. For me to accomplish greatness in the Mom Department, I center my focus on taking care of *ME* from time to time. If my focus is clear, my heart is open to fill up.

Between errands, shuffling kids around, working and being a wife is a juggling act. Here’s how I get back down to planet earth.

1. Breathe. Deep breaths. Nothing is a quicker mood changer like a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Not just a regular deep breath. The kind where you breath in so deep you can’t take in any more oxygen. From there, exhale until you are empty. Not only is your physical body cleansed, your soul is too.
2. Essential Oils. To make deliberate breathing even more relaxing, try diffusing essential oils. I put a diffuser in my bedroom, living room and office.  There are a lot of fancy oils out there. I prefer to stick to the basic headache relief combo,  peppermint and lavender. The oils I find on Amazon do the trick. However, if you want the best of the best in essential oils, Young Living is superior.
3. Daydream. Anytime I get overwhelmed with the work day, I take 3-10 seconds to reminisce on a funny memory of my family. It’s amazing how the quick escape level sets the positive momentum of my day. This goes both ways. If I’m bogged down at home, I think about a great meeting I had earlier that week. Constantly check in with your well being even if it means hovering in a daydream state from time to time.
4. Hug. Both of my sons love to hug. The power of a hug does wonders on the soul. How did I get them to be huggers? I hug them ALOT. Hugging our loved ones is one of the most powerful signs of community. Count how many times you hug in a given day. Now double it.
5. Read for improvement. I don’t always read to learn new parenting tricks. There are times I read parenting books to validate what I’m doing is right. It feels good to know I’m not totally screwing it up. Parenting books didn’t exist a thousand years ago and miraculously our ancestors succeeded. We can too. If you do decide to read any book the hot topic of parenting, read How to Talk So Your Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. It’s easy to digest and makes parenting feel “doable”.
6. Read for fun. Reading is a great way to escape reality, learn a little, enhance your vocabulary, gain different perspective and seek entertainment. If you are like me and find it hard to sit down with a hardback book, Audible is second best. Admittedly, I prefer the satisfaction of turning physical pages, but with Audible I can listen in the car, while I workout and get ready for work. Sign up for a trial that includes 2 free books.

Bottom line, there is no way to know if we are crushing it in #parentlife. All we can do is stay laser focused on balancing self preservation while we take care of our families.

 

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