What is the ideal mom?
I think I may take a poll as to what that question means to parents, especially mothers. Today as I scrambled after my son at the park I was struck with this question. What is the ideal mom? I watched and listened to other mothers, and other caretakers; how were they being with their most precious item?
I observed many traits of ideal:
• feeding them healthy treats at snack time—fruits and cheese
• making sure they were covered in sun block
• holding out the sippy cup, making sure they were drinking
• asking them to share with others
• pushing them on the swing and not talking on the phone
• helping them bounce on the seahorse, and explaining how it worked
• letting them play in the water puddle while becoming very messy
• pushing them in their plastic cars
• helping them on the jungle-gym, making sure not to fall
• asking if they needed to use the bathroom
These were just some of the ways in which I noticed that they were being, Ideal. I decided that for the rest of the day I would be ideal, here is what I came up: I would make a healthy homemade lunch (I made split pea soup with lots of veggies). I would play with him up until dad time. I would read him his books, and engage with him, asking questions about what we read. I would allow him extra coconut water, and let him down when he would begin to fuss at dinner. The last item on the list is the most challenging, but I completely did it, I would be a nice wife! There are many days when I become completely bitchy, and I silently shut my husband out, downright mean. It’s not that I want to be bitchy, it just happens. The load of being a mom, disciplining and discovering every moment with my child is overwhelming and emotional to great heights, or depths depending on how you look at it. I am not sure if my husband noticed or even cared, but the point of this exercise today was for me to see if I could actually begin to have that spiritual experience to be different, to view my child, and his world with new eyes… and today, it happened. Thank you.