Motherhood. It’s so many things – a precious gift, unconditional love and joy…. it’s all of this and so much more.
Motherhood has taught me so many beautiful and deeply moving lessons, including two that I hold dear – the miracle that is every life, and the belief that a special bond exists between all women. I’ll never forget all the kindness women showed me from the moment I became pregnant. Women everywhere, whether they were moms or not, friends or strangers, consistently showed me such kindness – they gave me their seats on the train, they checked in to see how I was feeling, they gave me encouraging smiles and advice – I could go on and on.
Of all the things I expected about motherhood, the outpouring of love and support from so many women was one of the most surprising, and one of the most touching. I’m so thankful to all the women that have shown me love and kindness (both big and small gestures) since I became a mom – I could not be the mom I am without the incredible women in my life.
So, today on Mother’s Day, I’m sharing a few personal reflections on motherhood from 3 amazing women. Whether you’re a mom, thinking about becoming one, or want to support your mama friends – I hope you feel uplifted reading this post.
Brittany Vasseur
Brittany is a wife, mom of Carter & Capri, and she’s the woman behind an incredibly successful lifestyle YouTube channel where she shares about home organization, life hacks, beauty and more. You can find frequent inspiration from her on Instagram (@VasseurBeauty) and her YouTube channel Brittany Vasseur.
- What have been your best moments since becoming a mom? The best moments of my entire life that can never be surpassed were the days my 2 children were born. The indescribable overflowing love will be burned into my memory forever. There is nothing in the world that compares to meeting your child for the first time. It’s overwhelming and the most special moments of my life.
- What is your favorite advice about motherhood? Everything is a phase. This is the advice that gets me through tough times and helps me better appreciate the good times. Whether it be a fussy teething baby or a wild rambunctious toddler who will not listen, I always remind myself it’s just a phase and it WILL PASS. It will usually pass the exact day that I’m really starting to worry and panic and can’t deal with it anymore. As quickly as the phase appeared, it disappears. When things are amazing and my kids are being the cutest, sweetest little angels on earth I’m also aware that these are precious fleeting moments and they grow up so incredibly quickly so to soak in every moment.
- What are currently some of your favorite ways to connect with your kids? My favorite ways to connect with my kids are 1) leaving the phone in the other room so I can be fully present and 2) doing an easy fun sensory activity outside. Lately I’ve been putting toys into bins and covering them with cooked pasta or raw oatmeal and having them dig through to find the hidden treasures. I love it most when both of my kids can play together and my older Carter can teach his little sister how to play and about the things around him. Nothing warms my heart more than seeing them play together.
The Intentionalish Mama
Rocquel is mama to three sweet boys, married to her best friend, and the woman behind the Intentionalish Mama. She shares about all things motherhood, homeschooling and faith. You can find daily inspiration from her on Instagram (@theintentionalishmama) as well as her new YouTube channel The Intentionalish Mama.
- What have been your best moments since becoming a mom? There have been so many moments that I have loved and cherished since becoming a mom but one of my favorites is watching my boys put others first. Their thoughtfulness to think of someone before themselves absolutely melts my heart. Watching the big brothers give up something for the little brothers because they know it will put a smile on their face is honestly the sweetest thing to witness.
- What is your favorite advice about motherhood? My favorite advice is to be slow to speak and quick to apologize. It’s so easy to talk over our children or miss something that they’re actually sharing with us that I challenge myself often to listen without thinking about what I may say next or without feeling the need to interrupt. Also, I believe it’s so important that I apologize to my children when I make a mistake and ask for their forgiveness. For me, this allows me to show my humanness to my kids. They get to see that adults make mistakes and are in need of forgiveness just as much as they are.
- What are currently some of your favorite ways to connect with your kids? My favorite ways to connect with my kids are playing Uno, playing baseball or throwing a football around in our backyard and taking family walks around our neighborhood.
Dr. Alisa Van Langeveld, PhD
Alisa is a wife, mom of 4, professor, parent educator and founder of “10 minutes together” which focuses on the positive impact of connection. She distills research around parenting and child development into simple and easy to apply ideas that empower parents. You can find regular inspiration from her on Instagram (@10minutestogether).
- What have been your best moments since becoming a mom? Some of my best moments as a mom are when I see my kids care for and comfort each other. I’m happy they have each other to help get through the challenges of life and I’m contented to see that they’ve learned some empathy from our home.
- What is your favorite advice about motherhood? One of my favorite bits of advice came from my own mother. She told me to pay attention to one moment in every day, where I feel happy. Even on the hard days, there is one moment of calm, or connection, or cuddles when I feel happy. This way, after all the years have passed, I can look back and know that I was happy every day. It wasn’t every part of every day, or even most parts of some days, but I had a moment of joy every. single. day. That has been powerful for me in helping battle scarcity as my kids grow up and fear that I’m missing it or not doing it right. Daily joyfulness is enough.
- What are currently some of your favorite ways to connect with your kids? Currently we do a lot of early morning cuddles, reading and talking. Almost every morning when my kids wake up, they find me on the sofa with a cup of tea and a book. It’s usually one child at a time so we get to spend a few quiet moments one-on-one. Other favorite connection activities include walks, puzzles, games, trampoline and face paint!
I hope you feel encouraged by reading this post, and I hope you found some new moms you can follow for more positivity and inspiration.
And on a personal note, I’d like to wish my mom and sister-in-law Grace an amazing day. I’m lucky to have some amazing women in my life, and these two are true gems. Thank you both for everything – you both inspire me every single day as a mama. ♥
Wishing you all a beautiful day!
P.S. If you’d like to share your answers to any/all of the 3 questions above, I’d love to hear! You can drop your answers below or in the comments of today’s Instagram post.
More posts you might enjoy:
- 9 Things I’ve Learned in 9 Years of Marriage
- 5 Easy Toddler Meal Ideas
- April Favorites
- 5 Things I Would Do Differently Today as a Newborn Mom
- Friday Favorites (3/19/21)
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