One Decision That Made Me a Much Better Mom

one thing that made me a better mom

What kind of mom am I?

This is a question that I ask myself pretty much every day of my life.

Am I too harsh? Kind? Patient? Present? Fun?

The thoughts are endless.

Then I had another thought. Am I fulfilled?

One thing I felt guilty about was the need for something more. I love being a mom. Yes, it is HARD! Okay, hard is the understatement of the year.

But I do love it and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

There was just something I felt was missing. I wanted to have something for myself.

My husband would come home and talk about work projects and issues he was working on and I was hanging on every word. Trying to offer my two cents whenever I could. Basically interviewing for a job with him.

This made me take a hard look at my life and evaluate what I wanted. And I realized something big.

I wanted to work. Let me rephrase that. I needed to work.

And I knew that I wanted to start a blog!

Now, previous to all of this I had been looking into blogging. Not even as a job. Just as a way to use my brain. Heck, even a way to feel like I was having adult conversations on a daily basis.

But when it came to blogging, it had always stopped at the research and planning stage. That is right when fear would come out and shoot my positive vibes down.

It is only after meeting a fellow blogger that I took the leap. And it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. For myself and for my family. More specifically, my daughter.

This blog has made me a better parent. Doing something that was all about me had a positive impact on the kind of mom I am. It doesn’t get much better than that.

BTW: Come connect with me on Instagram! We can share some real aspects of mom life.

Here Are 5 Ways Starting a Blog Has Made Me a Better Mom

1) Mom Works

I know everyone says being a parent is a full-time job. I agree. It is the most demanding job. And a job that you do not get sick days or paid vacation.

But I am more than just a mom. We all are.

Hello, mom is not my actual name.

I loved telling my daughter all about work. She had always said that daddy worked and mommy stays home. That is true. Mommy was home. But I was not just sitting on the couch eating snacks, drinking coffee and watching Netflix. OK. Sometimes that was the case.

It feels so good every single time I tell my daughter about the work I have to do. At first, she was very confused. She looked at me like a deer in the headlights every time she saw me open my computer.

But now she asks me constantly about what mommy is doing for work. And I love it.

2) More Present

I am going to be completely honest. I am not always as present as I would like to be. This is something that I am working on and will probably always be working on.

But working from home has really helped with this. Before I had something else to do, I just looked at it as I was a mom all day. What could I possibly be missing by scrolling through my phone?

You know what it was? I was bored. I had been a stay at home mom for 5 years. My to-do lists always consisted of cleaning. Oh, and reading. I have always loved reading. Check out these personal growth books that I can’t get enough of.

Once I started this blog, I started to be more present in the time I was spending with my daughter. And actually with my husband too.

3) Proud

Was my self-confidence through the roof before I started a blog? No way.

Is it through the roof now? Not exactly. But it is definitely on a steady increase.

It feels so good to be proud of myself. And it feels good to have those around me be proud of me also.

4) My Voice

I can remember sitting on my couch staring at my phone and telling myself that I had nothing to say. Nothing useful at least.

Who am I to write an article that could possibly help someone? This is right about when the negative voice in my head was front and center. It took me quite a while to quiet her down. And she still makes an appearance from time to time. That’s just life.

But now I do it anyway. I stopped doubting myself and started realizing that I do have things to say. I do have advice or tips that could be useful.

5) Research

Writing about parenting equals doing research about parenting. And this research has led me to read so many different things. So many opinions and perspectives of other people.

Have you ever read something and it instantly made you feel better? Happier? Less alone? Of course, you have! I have read so many articles. Some offered amazing mom tips or hacks. Some just offered encouragement.

I had always loved to read parenting books. (you need to read these) But reading examples of what other parents were doing opened my eyes to other ways of doing things. I may be a little stubborn and think my way is the right way.

I have also looked back to something I have written more times than I can count. There are times I re-read things at times just as a little reminder.

Making the decision to start something completely new and different was not easy. But I can truly say I am thankful for all the positive things that have come from this one decision!

Ever thought about starting a blog? Read this today!

And make sure to check out this super helpful blogging advice!