My Mommy Mantra

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We all do it. We have those things that we tell ourselves during certain situations to help us to remain calm or at least not bite the head off of our children or significant others. Over the years, I have slowly shifted from, “You are driving me crazy, why can’t you do anything right” to “Breathe, you’ve got this”. My initial mantra “You are driving me crazy, why can’t you do anything right”, was more-so directed at myself versus my daughter or my husband. From the moment I knew I was pregnant, I set out to be the best mom possible. I went to school for early childhood education and taught preschool and other grade levels, so I thought I was golden. I read the mommy books just to make sure I had a clue how to handle a newborn, but for the most part I felt pretty confident. I was bound and determined to be a perfect mom. If you are reading this blog, you know that is not humanly possible.

A New Mantra

My new mantra has saved many lives. The most important life it has saved is my own. There were many situations early on in mommyhood that I wished I had established. When my daughter was 3 months old, she had a cold and was coughing pretty badly. I remember my husband and I running the shower to get some of the steam from the shower going to help clear out the congestion. We also stood outside in the cold for a few minutes to help clear it out. Imagine this 3 month old staring at her mom and dad who had no clue what to do. “Breathe, you’ve got this”.

When my daughter was two, temper tantrums in the store happened frequently. They were the kind of temper tantrums where the entire store stops what they are doing to stare at you. And not the kind of stare to make sure everything is ok, but staring with those shameful judging eyes. “Breathe, you’ve got this”.  Here comes three. I remember her preschool teacher pulling me aside and telling me my daughter used the “F” word. “Breathe, you’ve got this”.  In this moment, taking time to recite my mantra allowed me to see the entire story behind her use of the word.

This brings us to four and five. My daughter has learned to utilize her own assertive voice and consistently uses it on my husband and I. “Breathe, you’ve got this”.  Five comes with lots of questions. “Mommy, how did I get in your belly?” “Mommy, do you know boys pee out the middle?” “Mommy, I got asked out on a date.” Oh my goodness, “Breathe, I’ve got this.”

 

I was bound and determined to be a perfect mom. If you are reading this blog you know that is not humanly possible.

Taking time to recite my mantra has allowed me to gain better control over my feelings. Over the years, this internal manta has become a vocalized mantra. I have seen the benefits in myself and my reaction to my own feeling. Recently, work stress and changes have gotten the best of me. I have been frustrated, scared, sad and disappointed and typically when I can not control them, I am the worst with the ones I love the most. One morning, I was mid-melt down and my daughter, now six years old, told me “Breathe, mommy. You’ve got this”. I know I’ve done my job as a mom. My daughter has developed this mantra for her own and has determined that this is mommy’s mantra.

To all the mommies in the world I say, “Breathe you’ve got this.” You have the best job in the world and even when things are not quite going your way, you’ve got your kids.

What is your mommy mantra that keeps you level headed?

Contributing Sister Site and Author

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About Jessica

My name is Jessica and I am a wife, mom and angel mommy. I enjoy spending time with my family and reading. When I am not keeping up with my daughter Ella-Grace, you can find me practicing yoga to regain my center. My life experiences have shaped me into the mommy I am today and I am thrilled to be able to share them with you.