Dear Friend,
I heard a great talk last night on Mommy Jammies Night about being a “yes mom”. It was great! So inspiring! I want to be a “yes mom”. But then I asked the question
What about us moms trying to be good moms, yes moms, with little people in the family? I mean my kids are all 7 and under….?
And it's like I immediately heard a hush and felt the sympathy begin to ooze, and the speaker and the other “older moms” in the chat room slowly began to all say
Oh, I wasn't like this when I had little people. It will get better when your kids are bigger. It's something you learn to do well over time.
Well, that's nice and all, and I'm looking forward to that day arriving, but what about now?
I need some hope for today,
for right now,
when I feel like the next shrill Indian yelp will send me over the edge, like another mess, another whine, another sibling fight and I may just walk out.
How do you be a “yes mom” a “good mom” today? In the little years? When you have so many demands pulling at you from all sides? When you feel like you're doing all you can and then some! When you feel like you can't even seem to come up for air, much less keep everything else afloat!
I want to read more stories, do more cuddling, bake more cookies, make more paper maché messes, answer kindly, drop it all and chase them around the yard just to hear them giggle.
But there are meals, and laundry, and sticky floors, and homeschooling, and work projects and correspondence and ….
Messes are temporary, Memories are for ever.
I know that. But how do you LIVE that? How do you LIVE the memorable and not the regretable, today, in the little years?
Signed,
A Young Mother of Littles
Dear Reader,
This letter is answered in the next post. I invite you to read it, but in the meantime –
Do you know a young mother in the trenches, bravely facing days full of little ones and messes? What could you do to encourage her today?
Could you call her and tell her that she IS a good mom and that you are praying for her? Could you send her some flowers or a note of encouragement? Could you stop by and take her kids to the park for an hour so she can get a bath or run to the store by herself? Could you offer to get a sitter for her kids and take her to lunch?
Mother's Day is coming soon. If you know a young mother who you could encourage this week, please leave her first name in the comments, and tell us what you plan to do for her. Writing it out will help you follow through, and will give us ideas that we can use to encourage others.
Praying God's grace on young mothers today,
Stef Layton says
I personally think it starts with praying for a desire to love the season of life we are in – as hard as it is. Yes might be 5 more minutes in the bath tub, bubbles, or something small like more chocolate milk. YES doesn’t have to be MONUMENTAL! Evaluate your expectation of what YES looks like — if you have littles it surely isn’t going to be much right now. And “how do you live that”?? One decision at a time. Toni offered “yes” does not mean “right this second”.
Being a good mom does not mean being the coolest most funnest mom. It means shining Jesus and loving our kids for how God made them. Being available.
Katie Hornor says
That’s some good advice Stef! Thanks so much for sharing. I hope you’ll get a chance to read the answer letter in the next post where I also linked to Toni’s blog post on being a “yes mom”. More moms need to hear this stuff! https://paradisepraises.com/good-mom