Being a mother is a wonderful experience, and it’s one where we are learning on the fly and taking every single day as they come. While we tend to shy away from unsolicited advice and anecdotes, sometimes we hear words of advice that stick with us and actually help us out. We have put together a list of our five favorite parenting tips to help make your motherhood journey just a little easier.
1. There is No Such Thing as “The Worst Age”
You’ve probably heard that the newborn stage is the worst, or that the terrible twos, the preteen years, or those rough teenage years ar the worst years of parenting. But this simply isn’t true—at least not in the way that people mean it to be. Every stage of development brings new challenges, but they also bring new joys and new milestones!
However, if you hit a particularly rough patch and feel like you are in over your head, there is no shame in asking for outside help. Whether you feel like your family would benefit from a family therapist, or you’re looking for something more specialized like DBT for teens, sometimes seeking professional help can be the best way to get your family through a hard time—and doing so will give you the tools to make it through the tough stuff when your time with your professional comes to an end.
2. Clothing Stores are Optional
Yes, your kids need clothes. And it’s pretty likely that your younger kiddos will outgrow clothes after just a few uses. But that doesn’t mean that you need to drag them to Target or the mall and spend the day in dressing rooms to find clothes that fit them and suit their styles. Subscribing to a monthly clothes box means that you can skip the fitting room and still get stylish clothes that they’ll love.
KidPik is a children’s clothing subscription box dedicated to bringing high-quality clothes right to your front door. After choosing which styles your child likes and setting your subscription frequency, your KidPik box will arrive with seven pieces of clothing, a pair of shoes, and a coordinating accessory. You have seven days to try on the clothes and pick what you want to keep and what you want to return—and you only pay for the items that you decide to keep! If your child likes to change their style often, or if you just like to change out their wardrobe frequently, definitely consider a subscription box!
3. You Can Make Exercise a Family Activity
If you’re like me, you miss going to the gym but you can’t seem to find time to exercise at home between housework and virtual school. One way to find the time to exercise and make sure your children are occupied is to ask them to join you! If you’re into workout videos, throw on your workout clothes and encourage your child to try to do modified versions of the exercises with you. If you’d rather get your exercise done outdoors, encourage your older children to power walk or run with you, and put the younger children in a stroller to keep them happy and add a little resistance to your workout.
If you prefer outdoor workouts and live in an area with wet weather, invest in a sturdy stroller and a stroller cover to keep your little ones safe and dry during the rain or snow. The Stroller Buzz Universal Rain Cover & Weather Shield ticks so many boxes on the must-have list: universal size so it can be used on more than one stroller, full coverage so no rain or snow sneaks in through the cracks, and high visibility. You’ll get in a great walk, and your child will stay safe and dry!
4. Ask Someone To Take Pictures For You
Your camera roll is probably full of pictures of your kids, but how many of these pictures include you? And not just selfies—how many of these pictures include you involved with your children instead of just observing? The answer is probably not very many, if any at all.
When you’re out with your kids, don’t hesitate to ask someone to take a picture of you. Most of the time, even if the person is a complete stranger, they’d be glad to snap a quick picture for you. If you’re not comfortable with handing your phone to random strangers, or if you have a day-long outing that you’d like captured, consider hiring a lifestyle photographer for the day to snap candid pictures—leaving you to enjoy your day without having to keep taking your phone out to snap pictures to look back on.
5. You Don’t Have to Wait Until the Next Morning to Start Over
As fun as being a mom is, it can also be challenging. If you lose your cool during the day, don’t see that as a sign to throw in the towel and call your day a failure. Step out of the room, take a deep breath to collect yourself, and start over. Apologize to your child, and talk about your feelings. This will help them to name their emotions and give you an opportunity to show them that it’s okay to make mistakes and try again.
Momming isn’t always easy, but with a little help, we can make the best of even the hardest days.
