As mothers, it’s normal to question whether or not you’re doing it right. After all, motherhood is so. darn. hard. Which is why it’s important to know, you are an amazing mom.
While we always encourage mothers to not compare themselves to others, the reality is, we all do it.
We all look at the other mothers at school drop off or the ones at Target who seem like they have it all together.
And that’s before we even start to scroll Instagram and see the perfectly filtered and curated lives on display.
Sometimes we just want reassurance that we are doing it ‘right’. That we’re doing a good job.
There’s no report card for motherhood, there’s no set of rules, no guidebook (as in one that everyone adheres to… there’s a lot of opinion books out there though… which makes it even harder), there’s no map and there’s no way to check and make sure you’re on the right track.
This is why you need to look to yourself and your own motherly instinct for these.
Still… it’s nice to have a little validation that we are doing a good job. And I know you’re doing a good job.
Don’t believe it? Check out these 10 signs you’re an amazing mom, I bet there’s more than a few on here that speak to you.
1 – The Fact You Even Care About Whether You’re A Good Mom Or Not
Straight up, the fact that you even care about whether you’re a good mom or not immediately puts you into the category of ‘good mom’.
If you didn’t care about your children, didn’t care if what you were doing was beneficial or harmful, or didn’t care about motherhood in general, then it would be a very different point.
But, you do care. Even reading this article shows you do care.
2 – You Take Time For Yourself
Long gone are the days when women martyred themselves in order to prove their worthiness as a mother.
We now know that this is not good for anyone and only contributes to poor mental health outcomes for mothers.
Instead, an amazing mom will take time for herself, take time to fill her own cup and take time to do what it is she loves. Even if it’s just for 10 minutes a day (but preferably a bit more than this!).
3 – Your Child Has Meltdowns In Front Of You
While in the midst of a meltdown you may feel as though you are the worst mom in the world and failing at your job, what this meltdown actually shows is that your child is comfortable enough to show their emotions in front of you.
This might not bring you comfort mid meltdown, especially one that is done in a public place.
But, a child who releases their emotions, shows how they are feeling and essentially melts down when you are near is showing that you are their comfortable place, you are the person they can just release to, you are the one they feel safe with.
4 – You Say No To Your Kids
While it may feel like you say ‘no’ more often than any other word, setting boundaries for your kids is part of being a good parent. Kids need boundaries and respond well to them.
Part of parenting is raising your children to be normal, functioning and contributing members to society, and in the ‘real world’ there are boundaries too.
Saying no to them is preparing them for the realities of life and teaching them that they don’t always get their own way.
5 – You Say No To Other People
While it’s important to say no to your kids, it’s also important to say no to other people.
Saying no to others often means you’re saying yes to yourself and to your family.
Saying no to other people may be in the form of saying no to events on the weekends, afternoon play dates or invites to parties that just eat into your family time or could disrupt your routine.
As an amazing mom, you know you have to protect your families space, and you do so by saying no to others when needed.
6 – You Can Admit When You’ve Made Mistakes
Wouldn’t it be great to be a perfect mom? But the reality is, no one is. There’s no ‘right’ way to do this whole motherhood thing.
Which is why it’s so important to admit when you’ve made mistakes. Because this is when you learn and grow.
Admitting mistakes also teaches your children that it’s okay to be wrong. It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to try something and admit that it doesn’t work.
7 – You Have ‘Bad’ Days
Everyone has bad days at some point. As mothers, it can seem like these bad days pile up, and then you scroll through social media and feel even more alone because everything on there is just Insta-perfect…
But that’s not reality.
Having a bad day as a mom means that you’re human.
It means that you care.
It means that you have a limit and it’s about to be reached.
It means that you love.
It means that you know things can be hard.
It means that you’re an amazing mom because in order to have great days, you also have bad days, and it makes you appreciate the great days even more.
8 – You Are More Than ‘Just Mom’
Before you became a mom you were an independent, self-sufficient, functioning woman who had interests, cares, loves and hobbies.
You had a life before you had kids and you are still you – you’ve just added ‘mom’ to your list of titles.
Losing yourself in motherhood is so easy to do, but as an awesome mom, you know that you are more than ‘just mom’. You are still you.
Sometimes it takes us a little while to find our way back to that woman who is someone other than ‘mom’ – even if you absolutely love motherhood and it’s all you’ve ever wanted, there is still more to you than your role as a mother.
9 – You Know You Don’t Have To Do It All
Even though it feels like you have to do it all, you don’t.
Whether you get help from others, outsource things, or if you just put it off to another day, you absolutely do not need to get everything done to be a good mom.
Asking for help can be hard, but it’s even harder to be everything to everyone (because you’re absolutely going to burn out).
Get help where you can, take breaks, and combat overwhelm so you can be the amazing mom you are!
10 – Your Kids Get Bored
There are some moms who thrive on planning out activities for their kids each day. Which is amazing. But you don’t have to be Pinterest perfect to be a good mom.
In fact, allowing your kids to get bored is good for their creativity, for their mental health and for their development.
While hearing your child say to you “I’m bored” over and over may be irritating as all get up, rest assured you’re not ruining them for not keeping them entertained for every moment of the day.
Maybe it’s time you give yourself a break, focus on all the wonderful things you do and stop being so hard on yourself.
You’re an amazing mom, and I bet you have more than a few of these signs to prove it too.
