It’s almost Mother’s Day here in the US. I’ve written a few posts over the years about my own mom (here and here), who is a very special person and someone I admire deeply. And a few days ago I wrote about how I think this holiday should really be called Mothering Day. So, today I’m not going to write much. I’m feeling weary from a long week of taking care of the universe (or at least that’s what it feels like)!
I love the quote above. I found it after reading a few articles about “good enough mothering”. Have you heard of this philosophy? It speaks to me, and it makes me feel better about the things I don’t (or won’t) do for my kids. My love for them is fierce, and truth-be-told my good enough mothering is a work in progress, but I’m also of the belief that doing everything for my kids puts them at a disadvantage. The qualities that will serve them well in life are grit, resilience, and resourcefulness. They can only develop these traits by experiencing for themselves the bumps in the road. As their mom, I want step in and help with everything. But I can’t fix all of the pain. Sometimes, the best I can do is just be there. And that’s good enough.
If you want to read more about this philosophy, start with this article. The author writes:
“It takes an imperfect mother to raise a child well.”
Then read this article. The author is very funny about her total immersion of the philosophy. She says:
“The concept frees me with its liberation from expectations.”
And lastly, this article shines a light on the philosophy for people who feel like “good enough” means “not enough”. The author writes:
“Building our children’s resilience is the gift of the good enough mother.”
Share your mothering philosophy, if you have one!
xo, Bar
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