mommy confessions

jude has written some excellent posts lately about being a dad...

these posts inspired me to chat with facebook friends about tips for mommies.

as moms, we often fail to remember ourselves 

in the busyness of loving and caring for our little ones 

(they'll always be little in our hearts, right?).

so here are some tips for enjoying a balanced and peaceful life with your kids (and partner):

• encourage them like crazy, and then some more!

• take time to play and read with them everyday (obvious when they're young, but keep doing it as they get older)

• sometimes a mommy time out is more effective than a child one 

• try and love yourself as much as you love your kids

• play music, dance and be silly with your kids

• find a creative outlet that energizes you (eg. writing, art, photography, dance...), and share your passion with your kids (this will help them discover their own passions)

• empower your kids - take the time to teach them how to do things for themselves and ways they can help out (appropriate to age)

• have fun as a whole family, create traditions and memories

• have one to one time with each child, if not daily - then weekly for sure

• and don't be afraid to share your 'not so proud mommy moments' - chances are you're not the only one to make that mistake (then learn from it and move on)

and some more great pointers from fb friends:

• say you're sorry when you respond or act inappropriately, it tells your kids it's okay to make mistakes...

•  be cheerful, that's what they'll remember about you.

• show your kids how to give generously and love unconditionally

• remember the long-term relationship you're trying to build with your children and let that determine how you respond in challenging moments

• kids learn more from what you do than what you say.

• watch, learn from and listen to other parents, you don't have to do this alone.

thanks to julianne f, erin, julianne p, and beth for your great input.
(these are pointers from moms with children ages 4 months to 7 years)

i realize this list is not complete, but a good start...

if you can think of things to add - please leave a comment below.

and one more tip

(because i can't do a post without a photo)

make sure to get in front of the camera once in a while,

even if this is the best you can get in the moment!

~

i called this post 'mommy confessions' 

because i'm thinking of trying to write more regularly 

about parenting topics and thought that's what i could call the posts...

what do you think?