Ten More Ways to Enjoy Being A Mom

1. Have fun with your kids

If you want to enjoy being a mom, then do stuff that is fun. You are not going to enjoy being a mom if you only do stuff that is lame all of the time. Laundry is not fun. Dishes are not fun. Changing dirty diapers is not fun. But, playing mario kart and watching your four year old’s eyes glow with delight is fun. So, do fun things with your children.

2. Give yourself a break

You do not always have to be in mom mode. Give yourself some time on a regular basis to just take a break and relax. This might mean putting your kids to bed at 8, and going to bed at 10 so you have two hours to yourself each night.

3. Have a plan

Enjoying motherhood is not going to happen if you do not make efforts to make it that way. have a plan each day that you follow. If that plan is to just do whatever sounds fun, great. Having a plan makes for less crazy life.

4. Be yourself.

If you want to enjoy being a mom, have an identity outside of mom as well. Give yourself a break on a regular basis. This means each day spend time as you. If YOU love to cook, then cook for you, not because you are a mom and that is what you are supposed to do.

5. Don’t try to be super mom.

You do not have to cut cute little sandwich shapes for your kids lunches. You do not have to be room mother. You do not have to have a perfect home. If you want to enjoy being a mom, do not try and be the super mom, instead, enjoy being mom, even if that means your house is a mess sometimes.

6. Take shortcuts.

If you want to enjoy being a mom, do not insist on doing everything the hard way. Make cookies from a mix, rather than from scratch, or better yet, just buy them. Order dinner out if you have had a rough day. Hire someone to clean your bathroom for you. Buy your Halloween costumes rather than make them. Taking a shortcut does not make you a worse mom, and it makes being mom more enjoyable.

7. Let the house go.

Okay this does not mean your house should always be a wreck. However, if your kids want to read a book with you, and you do not have time because you have to do the dishes, then let the dishes go, and read with your kids. Their is a saying that says something like, “If the stove does not shine, their eyes will shine instead.”

8. Be consistent.

Happier moms have more obedient children. The best way to have good kids, and kids that do not cause you grief is to be a consistent parent. That means have some rules you follow and parenting philosophies and stick with them.

9. Take care of yourself.

One of the wonderful ways to enjoy being mom is to take care of yourself. If you get up in the morning and do not get ready, you will feel crappy all day. Even if you have a million demands on your time, and a million things your kids need done, take care of yourself first. It is not good to be a selfish mom, but it is worse to always put yourself last. You will begin to resent being a mom.

10. Grow together.

Kids are not perfect, and neither are you. So, learn and grow as parent and children together. The best way to enjoy being a mom is to realize that you are not perfect, and to work at it each day. Let your kids know that you make mistakes, and make sure that your kids know that you know they make mistakes too.