Four Things

I am not a perfect mom. Especially when I had postpartum depression, I was not at all the mom I wanted to be. Just feeding, changing and entertaining Andrew would wear me out and exhaust me. (That is why I don't frown on moms who let their kids watch TV. I remember being so depressed and exhausted and Winnie the Pooh saved my sanity. You never know their situation.)  I felt so stuck and I wanted to do something to change it.

I came up with four simple things that I wanted to do with my children every single day no matter what. No matter how busy, crazy, stressed or tired I am, I would try to do these things as long as my situation permitted it. I'm not perfect at it at all but I'm trying REALLY hard to stick to doing these four things at least once a day. 

#1- Get them to laugh. My boys are pretty happy kids so it's not a big challenge but I try to make sure that I can keep them smiling. I do something to make them laugh or tickle them. Yesterday I was putting away groceries and Andrew started tossing the grocery bags around and it made Ben laugh. I pulled out a few more and we made it rain grocery bags in the kitchen and we laughed and laughed. I try to have at least one, if not more of these moments every day. 

#2- Sing! One of my favorite movies is Sarah Plain and Tall. In that movie, Caleb wants a mother to sing to him. That really stuck with me and I promised when I became a mom that I would sing. I want my boys to remember my voice. I want to teach them to sing. And it is working. Drew will sing our special lullaby "Billy Boy." He loves to sing "Beside the Seaside" and "Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam." And it is the cutest thing ever to hear him belt out "Happy Birthday" at birthday parties. In church he will sit with the hymn book in his lap and he sings nonsense words and looks around so seriously at everyone else singing. I hope Benjamin likes to sing as much as Drew. Right now he just likes to listen. 

#3- Read! Anyone who knows me will tell you just how much I love books. I'm a book hoarder. I try so hard to read at least once a day to my boys. I have read to them on long drives to the zoo and I have read to them while they are playing outside. But 90% of the time my boys are pretty content to just sit and read with me. 

#4- Look them in the eyes and say, "I love you." 

This is the most important thing I think any parent can do. And it is the easiest one for me to do. I give them hugs and kisses all the time and tell them multiple times a day. I never want a day to pass that I don't tell them I love them. Because knowing you are loved is the greatest feeling in this world. It is something people crave. It is something we as humans NEED. I never want my boys to feel unloved. Because no matter how broken or scrambled I felt, my love for these boys will never change. I want them to remember that. 

There are other things in my house that are a priority too. But for me, these were the most simple things I could do to make my self a little better mother every day as I was recovering from PPD, and they just happened to stick with me long after. I think I'm going to make a craft inspired by my four things. If I do I'll be sure to share it. 

Have a good weekend!! Don't forget to follow us on facebook and Instagram @7talesofmotherhood and my personal Instagram @diariesofasupermom!