Why I Like Being an "OK Mom"

So, let's get a little real today about the mom talk. Who among us is a perfect mom? *looks for raised hands* That's what I thought. I know, for sure, that I am (on a good day) and OK mom. Right in the middle. Some days I succeed at the mom thing, but it's a rarity if I'm honest. And it's taken me a long time to be fine with just being average. There's a lot of pressure out there to be that super successful, amazing, put-together mom with well behaved, angelic children.

-The Lies

Let's start with how we got this idea in our heads to be perfect mother's. In all fairness, it probably stemmed from all of those ads in the fifties where Mom ran the hoover in one hand and read a book in the other. Or had well-behaved children waiting at the door for Dad, while Mom handed him a drink, took his briefcase, and his coat and had the roast timed to come out of the oven at his arrival. That's probably where it all began, and then our lovely feminist foremothers told us we were better. That we could do more.

Cut to now. We're bombarded with moms looking fabulous and having time to go to the gym for two hours a day. Mom's that have high powered careers and "do-it-all." Mom's that have perfect Instagram pages and post blogs about having an "all-natural household" because germs are the enemy and chemicals will give your kids cancer. Not to mention all the reality TV shows out there depicting these beautiful, loving relationships between Mom's that always look put together and polished and kids that never seem to be unhappy.

Yes, it can be hard to put realistic expectations on yourself when that's what we see every day. I know it was hard for me.

-The Truth

While all of that is well and good, what you are seeing is not real. It's snippets of what people want you to see. Those moms that spend hours at the gym every day are probably exhausted. Yeah, they look flipping fantastic, but I like sleeping. Mom's that have high powered careers are always working. Constantly. Once they get done at work, they come home and work some more. They're stressed out, exhausted and overworked. Mark my words. And those Mom's with the fantastic Insta pages and blog posts are only showing you the highlight real. We all know this. We just don't talk about it.

They all have bad days too. Their kids all have bad days. We are all human, and there is no way we can all do it perfectly. So, don't compare yourself to someone else when you're not even getting the full picture.

-Let's Get Real

I have two kids, four and one. They get along with each other about 12% of the time. There is lots of yelling, crying, screaming, and arguing happening in my house on a constant basis. There are always dishes in the sink, old tissues on the table, discarded snack bags, shoes, socks, and toys strung throughout the house. Sometimes I get to the laundry once a week. We hardly ever eat out (budget), and I make my family three meals a day. I live in leggings and pajamas, never do my hair, and wear makeup once every three months or so. I am in no way put together. Ever.

I yell at my kids. They get sent to timeout when they misbehave and spankings when the punishment is deserved. I don't buy my kids lots of presents on their birthdays or Christmas, but I throw them a huge party. We don't go on lavish vacations. Camping is our go-to. My kids don't have iPads, tablets, or any other tech device. They only get about two hours of TV a day. We read a lot of books together and build things out of paper.

I say things I don't mean when I'm angry and sometimes hurt their feelings. I always apologize to my children when I know I'm out of line.

Lots of times I go to bed wishing I could be a better Mom. That I was more put together, nicer, did fun things, that I never got angry, that everything would be perfect. But I realize that's not realistic. Instead, I do the best I can to do the best I can.

At the end of the day, my children know I love them. They are fed are clothed. Hugged and kissed within an inch of their lives. They laugh. We cuddle. Even though I'm only OK, they still love me. And that's why I'm fine being an OK Mom.


I hope this reached some "OK Moms" out there and made you feel a little better. We all have our shortcomings, and nobody (and I mean nobody) is a perfect parent. We're all in this together. Please don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe if you liked this post. Want to reach me on social media? Click on the menu to get all of my links. You're doing great, Mom.