Horror Stories About Motherhood - True Or Lies
Before I became a mother, I read a lot of motherhood stories and heard a lot of horror stories about how one would literally lose their lives after becoming a mother. I never knew how far the truth was, to be honest. I’ve, of course, watched my mom carry the weight of being a mother to us, three monstrous (but lovable) kids and also babysat for many other people’s kids at the same time! Frankly, I don’t know how she did that and for those of you who are doing that, my hats off to you.
But motherhood, after having my first child, I realize is an all-encompassing vocation. It pays nothing financially and yet you get everything back in smiles, appreciation, love, hugs, kisses and all those things that really mean a lot to you! All those horror stories I’ve heard about motherhood….they never really tell you that, does it?
It’s important for a mother who is staying at home and caring for the kids full-time to take time out to be by herself. It’s too easy for a woman to lose her identity and her sense of focus (and sanity) if she doesn’t do that. I used to laugh at the notion - and then I had to put a sock in it after I turned into a mother confirming the truth in all those horror stories that I’ve heard before. To top it all off, working from home turned it into a nightmare. Every end of the day, preferably during the evenings when you’re done with all the washing and stuff like that, take time to actually calm yourself down and clear your mind.
A woman can only be a good mother if she knows how to care for herself too. Otherwise, you’d find yourself to be an incredibly horrid mother who is consistently shouting at the kids to behave or complaining about the dirty pile of clothes in the bin.
If you work from home, you’ll have to learn how to separate your life as a mother and your life as a business person very clearly. Sometimes, the line can be blurred but be mindful of it. When it happens, draw the line again and tell yourself to prioritize.
If you’re not yet a mother or is on your way to becoming one, congratulations. Don’t let all those horror stories about motherhood scare you out of becoming one because being a parent can be overwhelming but it’s also extremely rewarding. Sometimes you forget…sometimes I forget! But at the end of the day lies the reward telling you that you’ve done good and that you’re fine. Regardless of what happens in the future, you know you’ve done your best as a mother and that the kids will thrive when they’re older. Most importantly, even though they’ve taken a lot out of you when you’re caring for them when they were little, they’ve also given you joy, direction and meaning in life.
Trust me on this one.
Marsha Maung is a Malaysian-based freelance writer who ghost writes articles, blogs, newsletters and web content for her clients. Marsha’s just released her first fiction novel ‘Imperfect’ http://marshamaung.com/books/imperfect.html - a dramatic short story about the turmultous relationship between a mother and her daughter because of her daughter’s deformity. For more info on Marsha, visit her website at http://www.marshamaung.com - Marsha actively and passionately contributes to http://www.contentmagician.com as well.
Tags: life as mom, motherhood stories, parenthood, motherhood