15 Ways You Know That Today Is A Motherhood Win

As a mom, I often find myself wondering why other moms seem to have their acts together and I am a struggling hot mess sometimes.

Many days I wonder if there is some sort of secret manual that I missed out on that explains how to find more wins than losses throughout the day.

It can sometimes feel like a complete fail when you mentally go over the things you didn’t get to… AGAIN. You know, the mounds of perpetual laundry that need to be washed and even that load I actually put in the washer today, that is still sitting in there…and will probably sit in there for two more days until I re-wash them again, the mysterious smell that I just know is somewhere upstairs, but can NOT find for the life of me, the friends that probably really needed me, but I simply forgot to text back and the house that looks destroyed…no…IS destroyed.   

It was recently that I realized that while there are many losses throughout the day, there are several instances in which I can claim glorious victories, regardless of how small they are.

Women EVERYWHERE should know that you can stop worrying! Today is the day! You can forget about the things you think you should have done – and realize that if you do at least ONE of any of these fifteen things throughout the day, you are winning at being a mom.

“Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to accomplish something big, that we fail to notice the little things that give life it’s magic.”

15 Ways You Know You Are Winning at Motherhood

1. YOU WOKE UP EVEN AFTER ONLY GETTING 3 HOURS OF SLEEP…TOTAL : From the VERY beginning of motherhood, sleeping is the first things to go. Within the first few weeks of being pregnant, nausea kicks in and sleepless nights in the bathroom begin. A few months pass by, and you are so uncomfortable you toss and turn and pray for the baby to just GET OUT of that belly. After the baby is born and grows, you will have late nights, early mornings and middle of the night wake up calls. But YOU are a mom. So you GET UP! No matter how tired, how exhausted or how sick you may feel – because you are winning with every yawn and dark bag under your eyes.

2. YOU ARE CLOTHED: Maybe not dressed to the nines, in fact, maybe you’re still in your pajamas or your workout clothes… but you are clothed. You are totally ROCKIN’ that mom bun and soft pair of leggings like nobody else. Your momiform shows the world that you’re busy, that your heart is full of love and that you will do whatever it takes, to get whatever it is, DONE.

3. YOU FED YOUR CHILD WITHOUT USING A MICROWAVE: Orrrr maybe you DID use a microwave, but the point is – you FED a kid! You provided food for a human being, that isn’t able to care for themselves and who absolutely NEED and depend on you. Whether you made an organic five-course meal fresh from the garden in your backyard that you grew yourself or threw a pizza in the oven you bought at Target – you fed your family. And that’s kind of a big deal.

4. YOU READ A BOOK: Over and over and over again. In fact, you probably have it memorized by now! And we aren’t talking about a “mommy book” – we’re talking Cat In The Hat and Are You My Mother status.

5. YOU PUT SOMEONE ELSE’S NEEDS BEFORE YOUR OWN: Although you had your own lists for yourself and many things you were looking forward to FINALLY checking off your to do list – you dropped everything to help another person. Whether it was your friend who dropped off her kids so she could go to a doctor’s appointment, a new mom in the neighborhood whose family is in need of a meal, your husband who just needed to know you loved him, or it was your child wanting you to listen to a new song she learned how to sing. You put others first and that’s why you are winning today!

6. YOU TOLD SOMEONE YOU LOVED THEM: Love is something we see through our actions, but rarely hear it from those closest to us. Taking the time to tell those who mean the most to you how much you care, always will not only make you feel better but will make others happier too….it’s science.

7. YOU LISTENED TO A 20 MINUTE STORY ABOUT AN ANT: And you smiled. And you laughed. And you were fully invested in this simple little story that didn’t exactly matter to you – but meant the world to them. They were excited to tell their mom about what they saw and what they learned, and you were there with open ears to listen to their story with every detail possible.

8. YOU STUCK TO YOUR GUNS DURING A TANTRUM: You know what is best for your little. As a mom, you are a teacher – and sometimes being a teacher is tough. It’s easy to get frustrated, overwhelmed and to even doubt yourself and your parenting. Through every red faced explosion you understand there is a life lesson to be learned and you taught it.

9. YOU WANTED A NAP: You probably didn’t get one – but you wanted one. Because moms never clock out. Ever.

10. YOU WERE ONLY 10 MINUTES LATE: Let’s face it, 10 minutes late is on time…right?  Give yourself a pat on the back and never feel bad for being late. A mom always arrives exactly when she intends to.

11. YOU SHOWED SUPPORT: From soccer practice to school pick up…Dance class to the science fair – your kids know that you are their number one cheerleader. You are there to catch them when they fall and to help them spread their wings when they can fly.

12. YOU SAID YES TO YOUR KIDS AND NO TO YOUR PHONE: Through the notifications that pop up on your phone from texts, calls, emails, social media comments, likes and messages – you could literally spend an entire day sitting and catching up on everyone’s lives. But often times, the most important things in this life happen outside of the 4 inch screen calling your name. You put away your phone and read another book or sang another song or played another game and earned a motherhood WIN.

13. YOU ATE THE LAST PIECE OF CHOCOLATE CAKE YOU’VE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT: You may have done it while hiding in your bedroom closet with the light off so nobody could find you – but you did it. Because guess what?! YOU DESERVE IT! I hope you savored every bite and loved every minute, because as a woman, chocolate heals every worry there is.

14. YOU MADE A MEMORY: When our children look back at their childhood, what will they remember about us? Will they remember the piles of laundry and dirty toilets? Or will they remember that their mom played with them. That their mom sang them songs. That their mom took them on walks, played with them at the park, got her hair wet when they went swimming and loved them unconditionally.

15. YOU REALIZED HOW IMPORTANT YOU ARE: YOU are irreplaceable. As a mom, you hold the most sacred and special role there is. Let us remember that YOU are important. That the little things you do on a daily basis are SO much more important than the things you think you should have done.

“Many of you think you are failures. You feel you cannot do well, that with all of your effort it is not sufficient. We all worry about our performance. We all wish we could do better. But unfortunately we do not realize, we do not often see the results that come of what we do. You never know how much good you do.” – Gordon B. Hinckley

Danielle is the owner of Today's the Best Day. She strives to provide creative and uplifting content in order to enrich the parenting experience for women everywhere. Danielle hopes to help you and your family to make every day the best day!

April 14, 2016 by Danielle Davis | 1 Comment