Mama, this is YOUR motherhood.⠀

This very moment. This hour. This day. This night. ⠀

This is your baby’s babyhood. Your child’s childhood.

This isn’t a dress rehearsal.

There are no do-overs.

No retakes.⠀

The only certainty is that this time will pass, no matter what you do.

How you spend it is up to you.

The choices you make will come to define your motherhood.

My wish for you is that your choices are truly YOURS.⠀

My wish for you is that you make choices that ignite joy, deepen connection and instil confidence in your ability as a mother.⠀

My wish for you is that you forge your own path with your eyes wide open, your heart soft and your mind curious.

My wish for you is that rather than losing yourself in motherhood, you find yourself. You rise strong. You embrace your perfect imperfection.

My wish for you is that when you stumble and fall, you extend yourself grace and compassion. That you celebrate the mess of the slow and neverending metamorphosis of becoming a mother.

My wish for you is that motherhood gives you the confidence to be your authentic self. No apologies. No conditions. No excuses.

My wish for you is that you learn to rest in the belonging and unconditional love of your family.

My wish for you is that you have the courage and presence to accept your child for WHO it is they are right now. That you accept their needs. That you flow, rather than getting stuck in resistance. That you choose to live in the reality of this moment and let expectations and “shoulds” melt away.

My wish for you is that in spite of your fears and uncertainties that you learn to trust your inner voice, to listen to your wise mama heart and believe what your child is telling you.

Because the truth is that babies (and children) only NEED. They don’t WANT.

They don’t want you. They don’t want your affection. They don’t want your love. They NEED those things.

Your child is not manipulating, he’s communicating. With zero agenda our children guide us to be the parents they need us to be.

Don’t let the white noise of society steal this precious time of yours.

Don’t allow other people’s fears and paranoias and emotional baggage weigh you down.

Don’t let false expectations cloud your thoughts or impact your decisions.

Don’t let judgment shape your motherhood.

Make your choices based on hope, not fear. ⠀

This time may be fleeting but it is powerful. It is monumentally worthwhile. It is sacred.

This period of pajama days and nothingness achieved.

Of empty water glasses and overflowing laundry baskets.

These showerless days filled with meltdowns upon meltdowns.

These times filled with play and laughter and tears (yours and theirs).

These are the days. These days of tiny arms wrapped around your neck lay the foundation for what your relationship with your child will feel like for decades to come. Nothing in parenting – no strategy, no tactic, no method – is more important than your relationship with your child.

So, don’t overthink it. Instead, allow yourself to feel it. Allow yourself to mourn the loss of the way you thought it SHOULD BE and then celebrate the way IT IS. Trying to mold your child to fit an unrealistic stereotype of what a “good” child should be, dishonors who it is they are and mama…embarking on such an exercise in futility will only mess with your mind.

So, get out of your head and into your heart.

Don’t hold back.

Surrender. Be vulnerable.

Leave cultural conditioning at the door.

Bend in the breeze.

Dare to grow alongside your child.

I believe in your mama, and so does this little person you are blessed with.

To them, you are the sun and the moon and the stars. To them you are magical. To them, you are perfectly imperfect.⠀

“I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.” Helen Keller

P.S I know how hard it is to feel like you’re walking this path alone, so if you’re not already in the Natural Parents Facebook group, click here to join.