Tips on How to Be a Good Mom

As mothers we tend to ask ourselves questions like, “Am I a good mother?” or “How can I become a better mother?” Of course, I have no doubt that you are already a great mom, but we can all use improvement because no one is perfect, and being open to stepping up your mom game is so important! Truly exceptional mothers generally raise a great children and position them for the most success later in life. Our children are truly our greatest gift, so taking the time and effort to helping them succeed, and most importantly acting as role models is the greatest use of our time. Let’s have a look at some tips on how to be a good mom, meaning how to be the best version of yourself in order to give your children the best possible upbringing. We do the best with what we have and then we work on ourselves to make it even better, right?

Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

One of the traps that you commonly see with moms is that they will compare themselves to other parents, which can be a losing battle. Every parenting style will have a unique place, and you can’t decide on one as superior to the next. Don’t let your worst critic tell you that you’re not a good mom.

Paying for college is a great example of how differences in finances can play a role in sending our children to college. While few have the funds available to pay out of pocket every semester, others will direct the children to take out loans, get a job, or a combination of the two, in order to pay for tuition costs. If sending your children to college is important to you and you want to finance over time, you can take out a low-rate private parent loan. Utilizing parent student loans have become popular in recent years as our children deserve every opportunity.

Take Care of Yourself

Moms will often make sacrifices for their kids. At times, you will need to make sacrifices to ensure that your kid gets the most out of life. However, you shouldn’t forget to take care of yourself either. A mom who doesn’t take care of herself will be in no condition to take care of her children. In some cases, selfish actions can help you replenish you so that you can help your children later. Let’s take a common example. Sometimes, mothers will get sick and instead of going to the doctor, or resting, they become weaker and weaker. At some point, they may even struggle with preparing food for their children or doing basic household tasks, and everything falls apart. Learn to take care of yourself so that you can always take care of your greatest treasure!

Don’t Overdo It

You’ve probably heard the joke about buying a cat a $20 toy, and instead of playing with the toy, he plays with the box. Children, especially younger children, are similar in that they don’t require a lot to enjoy themselves. They know how to have fun with the simpler things in life. A $500 birthday party means nothing to a child, and in some cases, you could slip by with a $75 birthday party and good friends. It is not about the money invested, it is about the time and thoughfullness. Wonderful home made decorations, a homemade cake and lots of excitement are all a child needs, and actually show so much more than running to the store and buying something.

Treat Your Children as Individuals

Each child will have their own personality, and you must parent  each one according to that personality for the best results. For example, you might ask one child to clean his room, and he will have it done soon after telling him. With his sister, you might ask her to clean her room, and you may come back to find her lying on the bed and reading a book instead. Generally the best advice is to pick your battles very very wisely, and don’t sweat the small stuff! At least she’s reading! Learn what works with each individual child to best parent to each one, and get advice from parenting experts.

Being a parent is a full time job, and one whose parameters are constantly changing! The most important thing is to always stay calm, make sure your children know that you love them, and build a relationship based on mutual trust and respect. We can do it!