What Is a Good Mom?


The other day, I saw a woman's shirt that read, “Good Moms Yell.”

I laughed to myself, but then I kept thinking about it.

What is a good mom?

Parenting is tricky. There is no one right way to do it. What works for one mom might not work for another. What works for one child might not work for another child. Every child is different, every family is different, and we are all figuring it out as we go.

So, what makes someone a good mom?

Here are a few things I thought of.

Good moms still yell.

Good moms still say the wrong thing.

Good moms mess up.

Good moms regret what they say.

Good moms forget things.

Good moms cry.

Good moms feel frustrated.

Good moms have days when they wonder if they are getting anything right.

Good moms apologize and move on.

Good moms ask for coaching and help.

Good moms take care of their own needs so they can be more present for their families.

Good moms are kind and compassionate with themselves.

Good moms are human beings who are trying their best.

And good moms learn to love themselves, even when they fall short of who they want to be.

Because being a good mom doesn't mean you never make mistakes. It doesn't mean you always have the right response, never lose your patience, or know exactly what to do in every situation.

Being a good mom means you are willing to keep learning, growing, and trying again.

I think sometimes we spend so much time focusing on the moments we get wrong that we forget about all the moments we get right. We replay the words we wish we hadn't said, the times we lost our patience, and the moments we wish we could do over.

But what if, instead of beating ourselves up, we gave ourselves a little compassion?

What if we could acknowledge that we made a mistake without turning that mistake into a story about who we are as a mom?

There is a difference between saying, “I yelled at my kids today, and I wish I had handled that differently,” and saying, “I'm a terrible mom.”

One allows us to learn and do something differently next time. The other leaves us feeling ashamed and stuck.

We can take responsibility for our actions without deciding that we are bad moms because of them.

We can apologize to our kids, repair the relationship, and try again. We can get help when we need it. We can learn new skills. And we can remember that our kids don't need us to be perfect. They need us to keep showing up, loving them, and doing our best to grow alongside them.

So, the next time you have a moment you wish you could take back, remember this:

Good moms aren't perfect moms. They're human moms.

And maybe being a good mom has less to do with never getting it wrong and more to do with what we do next.

Give yourself some grace. Learn what you can. Make things right when you need to.

And then move forward.

You are allowed to be a work in progress, too. ❤️

I love you!
Megan

PS

If you’re ready to change the story you’re telling yourself about who you are as a mom, or you want to improve your relationship with one of your kids, I’d love to help.

Sometimes, a relationship breakthrough isn’t just about changing your relationship with someone else. It can be about changing the relationship you have with yourself.

You don’t have to keep believing the stories that leave you feeling like you’re not enough. There is another way to see yourself, your kids, and your relationships.

Hop on a free Relationship Breakthrough Call with me, and let’s explore what’s possible. 💛

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