Repeat After Me: I Love Being a Mum!

I've read a lot about motherhood lately which has given it a pretty bad wrap.  I understand the childless by choice stories and honestly respect everyone’s right to choose, but what’s getting me down is the constant stream of negativity about Mums, from Mums! 

It’s a hard trap not to fall in to and one I’ve fallen victim to on countless occasions.  There can be a lot to whinge about.  But you know what.  I love being a Mum, so much so I went back and did it again and thanks to this new natural contraceptive I’m using, I’ll probably be back for thirds.  I love being a Mum, but I didn’t trade my sense of adventure and style when I rented out my uterus. 

Despite The Wiggles on constant repeat inside my head, I still know important things like what’s happening in the Middle East and who wore what at the Logies.  I have goals and aspirations that don’t revolve around my children, but are an independent accompaniment to a very full life. 

My beautiful Jessica, only minutes after she was born

I’m no Super Mum though, like all of us, at times I’ve really struggled and I have had professional  help to get through physically and emotionally.

   

It can be tough and we need support, particularly from other Mums, not being on each other’s case about parenting style or adding to the negative poor-mum syndrome.  I want to challenge every Mum out there for one day to drop the negativity and be proud of being a Mum.  When someone asks how the kids are, don’t reply with rolling eyes and tales of woe. 

It’s a hard habit to break and without getting into a heap of feminist rambling, it’s something us chicks seem to constantly come up against.  Imagine if instead of your husband and his mates sitting around at the pub trading footy yarns they told amazing tales of their heroic wives who braved 13 hours of labour to give birth to a 9 pound baby with no pain relief! 

While I don’t see that happening any time soon, it’s completely easy to tell another Mum that she’s doing a great job, to tell ourselves that we’re doing a great job!  There’s a lot to love about being a Mum, something that’s easy to say at 7.30pm with 2 kids in bed, perhaps we just need a reminder sometimes from our Mummy mates.