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Speaking Out: On Motherhood and Moms

This Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating you. So we talked to some eager KIWI and Moms Meet readers and asked what they love about their moms and their kids, what crucial lessons they learned after becoming a parent—plus what they miss about their pre-mom lives (the #1 answer? Sleep!). Here, we share their answers:

What I love about my mom

“I love that my mom always let my sister and me make our own mistakes. I also loved that she read to us at any moment—she’d always stop whatever she was doing for a story. I do the same thing with my kids now, and they love books!” –Erica Dakin Jenkins, mom to Avery (6), Sam (4), and Anna Jane (9 months), in West Point, Virginia

“My mom is a comforting soul. She makes me feel at ease when I talk and will let me ramble on ad nauseam. What’s more, the advice she gives is always objective and supportive. I hope I’m half the mother she is!” –Carolyn Gratzke Brown, mom to Rudy (2), and Jillian (4 months) in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

“She supports me—unconditionally—to be who I am. She may not always agree with the little details, but her ultimate wish is for me to be happy. Who could ask for more than that from a mom?” –Kelly Dollard, mom of Annabelle (6), and Avery (2), in Los Angeles, California

What I learned when I became a mom

“The 5–5-5 rule. Will it matter in 5 minutes? 5 days? 5 years? Also, you can choose the type of parent you want to be; you don’t have to be what people expect of you.” –Crystal Daniel Kohler, mom of Nikolas (11), Ethan (7), Lucas (6), and Nina (5), in Lakeville, Minnesota.

“The house will get cleaned and the laundry will get done (maybe not at the particular moment you want, but it’ll happen!), so don’t sweat the small stuff! Concentrate on spending as much time with your children as possible—but always take some time out for just you, even if it’s only 10 or 20 minutes. And always set aside some time for you and partner.” –Christina Reddig, mom of Elizabeth Rose (2), in Ephrata, Pennsylvania

“All children are perfect no matter how they enter this world. I always thought of perfect in terms of physical appearance and behavior, but those thoughts disappeared when we found out that our daughter would be born missing her left hand. Her physical birth defect rocked our world, and coming to peace about what perfection really is has been a journey. Some might say my daughter isn’t perfect—she doesn’t have the classic ten little fingers and ten little toes—but to me, she’s the most perfect little blessing. –Carolyn Gratzke Brown

What I love about my kids

“Both my children have a zeal for life. They’re incredibly peaceful, joyful, loving, willing, compassionate, and giving—so it’s impossible to feel sad or stressed when they’re around. It’s also nice that I don’t have to fight them to eat their veggies—they eat organic produce like candy!” –Jessica Lauren Scaletta, mom of Madeleine Lucia (3), and Judah Alexander (1), in Lafayette, Indiana

“Watching her excitement when she learns something new or figures something out on her own. (Something I didn’t love so much? Potty training. We’re finally there, but sometimes I didn’t think we would ever make it!)” –Christina Reddig

“I love that both of my girls are fiercely independent and that it is what drives who they are. Given their determination, I am excited to see what the future holds for both.” –Kelly Dollard

What I miss from my pre-mom life

“Reading and sleeping!” — Crystal Daniel Kohler

“I miss the time alone with my husband. I love having our children in bed with us, but I sometimes miss the nights when it was just the two of us!”  –Jessica Lauren Scaletta

“The feeling of independence. Being able to pick up and go without it taking an hour, or being able to just go out to eat whenever my husband and I wanted. Oh—and sleep!” –Christina Reddig