Babies being bounced on laps, with new ones being passed into loving arms, to give a tired Mom a break.
It was a Thursday in the spring, when I sat down, with a group of young Moms at The Alex Parenting Plus Group. At our weekly parenting group, which welcomes everyone with open minds and hearts, I posed a question…
Who do you lean on and what do you say to yourself, to get through tough times?
Here’s what parents had to say:
“Jesus I pray to him which gives me instant relief it’s like a companion that I know is always there”
“Oh ya, and the red string theory: No matter where you are in the world, you are always connected to ‘your person’”
“Our life is not all random you know, said another, I remind myself that this moment is part of a bigger plan.”
“I ask myself, how do I do the best job, for my son? I remind myself, you don’t want him to go through what you went through. Every day I work to be the best mom for my child.”
“I tell myself, ‘It’s fine, I’m fine, everything is fine’, sometimes multiple times a day and it really helps me through a tough moment.”
“My Husband, if he wasn’t there, I don’t know what I would do. He listens and we’re a team so it’s different to how I was brought up.”
“Don’t lose yourself in motherhood Remember to cultivate a part of you that keeps your unique, internal embers glowing”
“Everything, even the highest high or lowest lows are temporary”
“Be present, it’s really all our kids want from us. It almost seems too simple, but it is the best gift we can offer our children”
“Take care of yourself #1. Your kiddos need you to be healthy”
“I remind myself, tomorrow is different”
“Positive self-talk is a must! You live in your mind for your whole life, so why not make it a nice place to be”
“Self-care isn’t selfish, it’s essential! And it is imperative that Moms model some selfishness to their kids So one day, they might also find time to keep their own embers of interest burning.”
And as it happens each week, our sharing circle was rich until the final minute.
Our time was up, so we said “good bye” and went off in every direction, feeling connected, resourced, and resilient.
xx Tasha
Clinical Director, Author, Speaker & Psychologist
