A Letter to My New Mom Self

Welcome to a whole new life. You have no idea what you are doing and you never will. You will have more hard days than easy. But I am here to give you some little slices of advice: Make time for yourself. Or you will go insane. Trust me, for the longest time I didn’t. I am learning to now and although it helps, it would have been much more helpful if I started a long time ago. Do it and don’t feel guilty about it. Cut yourself some slack. I am still working on this one. I beat myself up daily. But at the end of the day, what matters is the love you share. They love you. You love them. Do better next time. It’s ok to use the TV as a babysitter twice a week. Read at least one parenting advice book. I started one then stopped. I need to start it again. It helps to see things from a different perspective. See that toy? That cute shirt/dress/whatever it may be? Yeah, you do not need to buy them something every time you go to the store. More than likely, there aren’t enough days in the month for them to wear everything you bought them. Fight the urge. Speaking of that, H&M and Walmart have the best cute, simple tees. Get them. They can be dressed up and dressed down. Baby wipes. Keep them forever. They are super versatile. Make them eat their food. Yes I said that. Do not cave to that snack. They tell you they don’t like asparagus or pepperoni or salmon, but if you offer it to them enough, they will learn to like it and you don’t waste even more food. If they don’t eat it, then they don’t get those fruit snacks. Sorry kids. Show empathy. Like I said, you will have more hard days than easy. A hug, a kiss, a snuggle after you discipline or yell heals their heart. A little bit goes a long way. Apologize when you are wrong. Lead by example as often as you can. I fail here daily. Again, what matters is that you try. Nope, you don’t need to get them what everyone else has. Practice gratitude. Swing with them. Take walks. Let them stay in their pjs if they want. Never give up on yourself.