Your new motherhood manifesto

There’s an ocean of literature about all manner of things relating to parenthood. There are pregnancy bibles, labour guidebooks and the ‘what to expect when expecting’ books aimed at providing antenatal support for the expectant mother. Then there’s an entire library of books on how to actually raise your child. There’s also an exploding market in books about what to feed your child. But there’s not a lot written about how to survive and thrive as a mother. You hear it’s tough, often tiring and sometimes tedious (sometimes?) but you can’t understand it until you’re living it. Here are my tips for surviving and thriving motherhood.

Find your own mothering rhythm

It doesn’t matter what “Ally’s mum says about formula, or your MIL’s “advice” about controlled crying, or what Jack’s organic mama says about sugar. Ignore it all. It’s futile comparing yourself to others, and even more so comparing yourself to other mums. Do what works for you. Do what works for your family. Do what works for your relationships. Block out the parenting “noise” and trust your own judgement. Learn to mother without expectations, without conditions, and most of all without guilt. You’ll be so much happier.

Pick your battles

When the going gets tough, cut some corners and cut yourself some slack. Decide what matters, and what doesn’t. So if your 2-year-old wants to wear a sleeveless dress when it’s 10 degrees outside, why fight it? Throw a cardigan at the bottom of the pram and save yourself the angst. Need to use some screen time to get through witching hour? An extra hour of TV won’t harm them. Similarly if you’ve had the day from hell and the thought of cooking dinner for toddlers that probably won’t eat it fills you with understandable dread, save it. Call in the backup meal: scrambled eggs, a bowl of weet-bix, who really cares? Get through the current day and think about vegetables the next.

Be gentle to yourself

With so much energy being poured into the family, the person who usually ends up depleted is mum. Much like in air travel, the ‘fit your oxygen mask before your children’ is true to motherhood. It’s simple really: if you don’t replenish your own needs and treat yourself with the same care and compassion, the entire family will suffer. Being gentle on yourself also means celebrating the small steps, the little victories, and the mothering milestones. It means patting yourself on the back and going easy on yourself when the times are tough. Learn to move on from the bad moments quickly. Don’t replay them in your head.

Phone a friend

There’s no benefit in pretense so don’t suffer in silence – speak up. If you’re having a bad day, bad week or bad month, tell someone. I have a couple of “go to” friends who I know I can call to say “I’m having the day from hell,” or “I want to run away from my kids,” and they know not to call child services. Instead they listen, agree and offer understanding. A little vent actually helps. And if it feels more serious than airing your motherhood frustrations, then visit your GP and lay it on the table. There’s no shame in not enjoying motherhood 24/7. None.

Adopt the 80/20 rule

This is my personal favourite. We know we are not supposed to shout at our kids; instead we are meant to speak to them calmly and rationally. But at the end of a day involving perpetual battles sometimes the rage escapes you. Of course, you feel terrible afterwards. We all do, but we’re also flawed human beings. Human error is simply that, human. Even surgeons make mistakes; no one is infallible.

So, feed your kids well 80% of the time and allow for some treats or just casual meals 20% of the time. No outdoor play today? Big deal. You did it yesterday. A reader got missed? Don’t sweat it. Bed time usually 7.00pm? Allow for some later nights once in a while. The 80/20 rule can be applied to all areas of life too, not just parenting. If you’re not already on board with the 80/20 method of parenting, get on board now.

Perfection is the enemy

Being a parent and a perfectionist don’t sit easily together. Trying to do it all and expecting it can all be done perfectly, is a recipe for disappointment. It’s simply not possible to achieve an idealistic standard at anything all the time. Instead aim for “good enough.” Just get the job done. I learned to lower my expectations and my standards a long time ago. I also learnt to get comfortable with mess. And collectively let’s not cultivate the myth of the supermum. Let’s remove that word, along with “perfect”, from our vernacular. Permanently.

 

Which of these do you like the most? Is there anything else you would add? Please comment below.

* First published on Essential Baby.