"Oh no! He must be freezing without his socks! Did you know he's missing his socks?"
Please tell me I'm not the only one that has heard this DOZENS of times at the store!
My
children have always had an unnatural ability to lose one or both socks in the car, never to be found again... It doesn't matter how many times I try to put them back on. I'm not even surprised anymore when we get to the grocery store and I find my
baby... sock-less.
I bundle my
kids up with whatever's left and we start the "
stress-free" grocery trip adventure. Obviously, these trips are easy. My
kids never whine for all the goodies they see, toys I refuse to buy, or whatever else they deem fight worthy. I'm sure yours don't either.
Before any of those things even get to happen, were stopped by a frantic "Good Samaritan." This Good Samaritan runs over to our cart and lets us know something horrible has happened! Something catastrophic!
My. Child. Is. Missing. A. Sock.
Then the Good Samaritan starts searching everywhere. "Oh my goodness. Poor baby, you must be freezing. Did you know he was missing a sock?"
Instead of dealing with this person any longer I instantly say, "Oh no! Maybe he lost it down one of the aisles." Then I run off without waiting for her response.
Seriously. There is no way my child would ever get hypothermia due to a missing sock! In fact, I don't think a child has ever been hospitalized or taken to the doctor over a missing sock.
I know I'm not the only one that has dealt with this. People are always more than willing to offer up their opinions and advice. The question I have for you is how do you respond? Are you open to people that start spouting off unwanted advice or do you shut that business DOWN?
After I had my first son, I would look everywhere for advice. I was constantly posting my questions on
Facebook or
Twitter only to get dozens of completely different answers in return. I always ended up more confused than I was before I asked!
I would ask what people think I should give my son for a terrible cold... Then I would hear things like this...
"Give them Tylenol right away!"
"Medication is terrible for kids, let them drink garlic and ginger water."
"It's probably because you guys vaccinate..."
Am I right or am I right?! I know you're all shaking your heads furiously with me, in agreement! It's hard enough as a parent, trying to navigate through motherhood. Add in some opinionated people and you feel like you're always doing it wrong.
Well, I am here to tell you that you are an amazing mother. Missing socks and all. You make decisions for your child based on what you think is best. It may not always be the right choice, but that's how you learn. The love you have for your child out weighs it all.
Be comforted in the fact that we are all trying to figure it out with you. It doesn't matter how many kids we have all had, kids are all different. You have to figure things out all over again each time.
So, what can we do to encourage moms out there? We can take a minute to tell them a few things all moms need to hear. Find a mom friend of yours and encourage them! They need it.
5 Things All Moms Need To Hear
You're doing a great job
Every mom needs to be told she's doing a great job. There's so much pressure on her shoulders. She wants to be the best mom she can be, make the best choices, please those around her... Whether or not your think she knows what a good job she's doing, tell her. Telling her means so much.
You don't have to listen to everyone
As a mom, you feel pressured to listen to everyone. Whether it's a parenting book, doctor on TV, friends, family, or your Good Samaritan. Remind them they don't have to listen to everyone. It's nice to be reminded.
Trust your mommy instincts
Remind them to trust in their own instincts. We all have that mommy gut that tells us what's best for our baby. Sometimes you need to let everything else go and just trust in that. Mommy instinct is a powerful thing!
You can take a break
Moms spend all of their time taking care of their kids and their family. It's easy to overlook time for themselves. Mommy guilt can even kick in and tell you how wrong it is to prioritize time for yourself. Remind a mom in your life they can take a break. A break means she can get the TLC she needs.
Thank you
Take a minute to thank a mom in your life. Thank them for dedicating their life to their kids. Thank them for all their late nights, delicious dinners, cleaning the house, taking care of sick babies, kissing boo boos, and so much more. Every mom needs to hear this one. Thank you.
Take a minute and encourage a mom in your life.
