Being A Mum & What I Said To Our Children.

'To the world you may be one person but to one person you may be the world'
​​​​​​​ ~ Bill Wilson

A while ago I had a conversation with the kids while driving to school. I can't remember the full context of it but we were running late and I had some work on I wanted to get to, when the kids grumpily said, 'all you care about is your work'! It was a comment that made me stop mid flow. We pulled up at school and I looked at them and said… 'my work is important to me but my most important job is being your Mum and it's a job I take very seriously....' I can't remember what else I said, however the look from my youngest is etched in my mind... It was a look of adoration with a loving smile on his face. Nothing else had to be said and the conversation stopped.

I'd never said anything like that to them before so how would they know how much I value being their Mum?

It made me realise that one of the few ways our kids understand that being a parent, especially a primary caregiver, is an important role to have is by telling them and showing them. We teach them how to read, write, use their manners, the value of money, of getting a job etc. What about parenting and mothering?

One day it’s likely they’ll be parents and mothers, I'd like our kids to value their new role, to know the privilege and importance it bestows and that it’s something they can be very proud of and enjoy whole heartedly.

The statement, ‘I’m just a Mum’, is a real term alive and well in our homes and communities. I’ve said it myself! We all do and have done. Even if we don’t mean to marginalise the role of being a Mum, subconsciously it does.

I think the belief begins at home and it begins with us, as Mums. I’m not suggesting we add more responsibility to the heavy load we already carry, but rather to remember and be strong in the knowledge that shaping the lives of future generations and citizens IS an important job. It’s a tiring, thankless job at times yet there is no one that can do it better than we can or our family can. So that kind of makes it one of the best jobs in the world too!

I know it starts with me. If I’m not proud of the role I have or if I don’t value it how can my children?

Which is also why it’s so important to take time out to refuel and recharge, especially when children are little and we’re more tired from lack of sleep and we’re running on empty. If we’re not looking after ourselves and taking time to do more of what makes us happy, how can our children or our families be happy? And how can they look forward or prepare themselves for that most important job in the world, being a Mum?

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