20 Reasons Why I Am An Awesome Mom

Every single day I read about another mother who has been taunted, chastised, blamed, bullied, looked down upon, ignored, got the cold shoulder, was made to feel less-than, or was just plain told she was wrong. You think kids are the only ones who are bullied? Guess again.

Yesterday, a friend’s website that she started to combat all this Mom-to-Mom bullying was actually taken OFF of Facebook because it was deemed spammy and unsafe. Crazy! The Mom Pledge was created to help block cyber-bullying and Facebook thought it was spam? Unsafe? I’m guessing they got a complaint from some “bully” and didn’t bother to do their research.

When is this going to stop? All the judgement? Parenting is the hardest job in the world and yet ever day we are made to feel like we just aren’t doing a good enough job at it. It’s depressing. It’s sad. It’s wrong. Each one of us does the best we know how with the tools we have. Working mothers, stay-at-home-mothers, mothers who stay home but want to work, mothers who hate staying home, mothers who work and hate it but do it for the sake of their family budget and health insurance.

There is no “perfect” parent. It doesn’t exist. We need to accept once and for all that everyone parents differently and our kids are STILL turning out pretty darn good despite of it all.

Instead of beating myself up about all the things I’m failing at, I thought I would turn it around and start focusing on the things that I’m pretty awesome at. Because I am an awesome Mom. My kids have told me so.

1. I allow sleepovers. Despite my pure hatred of them and everything they stand for, my daughters like having their friends sleep over so I allow it. On occasion.

2. I bought my daughter a cell phone. She’s 12 and I’ve been promising her a phone since she was 8. It was her birthday. I kept my promise.

3. I make my children do their chores. They hate me for it, but someday they’ll thank me when they are experts at taking out trash, filling a dishwasher and scooping poop.

4. I read. If leading by example does the trick, my children should grow up with a love of books. They see me read. They want to read.

5. I say no. Children do NOT have to have everything they want every minute of the day. I say no and I say it often. I’m not raising spoiled brats.

6. I tell them I love them every day - even when they bug the hell out of me.

7. I taught them how to cook. It’s pretty nice when you can ask your 12 year old if she can cook dinner tonight. Try it… you’ll love it.

8. I taught the kids how to make coffee. BEST THING EVER.

9. Ever once in a while I’ll let them buy an ice cream from the Ice Cream Truck. It’s just fun.

10. I love their Dad. I want my girls to grow up experiencing what a good relationship is. If they don’t see it, how will they know?

11. I don’t pick their clothes out for them. I can’t say I love all the outfits they choose, but unless certain body parts are on display, I allow them to express their creativity and fashion sense.

12. I won’t give the answer to a math problem. I already went through 17 years of school and I’ve earned the right to not do another algebra problem as long as I live.

13. I let my kids play their teeny-bopper music in the car. I don’t like it, but THEY do.

14. I won’t drive unless they all have seat belts on.

15. I let them yell and play and run around outside with their friends. THEY’RE KIDS!

16. I cry in front of them. My kids know I feel sad sometimes and that it’s okay to kind of “lose it” every once in a while.

17. I tell them I’m not perfect. Okay, they probably know that already, but they need to know that even Moms make mistakes.

18. I tell them how hard being a parent is. One day they will have kids and why sugar-coat it?

19. I talk to them about all the icky girly things they need to know, honestly and without embarrassment.

20. I answer their questions. I don’t hide anything from them and I always give them honest answers. It’s a trust thing… they know they can get the truth from me, they won’t need to go looking to other people for answers.

I dare you. I dare you to make your own list of why you are an awesome Parent.