How To Act Like a Calm Mom Even If You Don't Feel Like One

Like most moms, I was a perfect parent until I had actual children. 

But ever since that first big "it's a girl!" announcement, I've been messing up with rather alarming regularity.

Thankfully, God has taught me a lot of lessons along the way. The other day, in fact, He showed me that it really is possible for an older mom to learn new tricks.

I'm so grateful to my friend Ruthie Gray for letting me share this lesson. I'd love to have you head on over to read the rest of this story about the mom-with-mileage "aha moment" I wish I'd had when I was a younger mom...

**This post may be have been shared at some of these blog link parties.**

10 Things I Didn't Know I Didn't Know Before I Had Kids

I was not a big follower of the “what to expect when…” genre of books on motherhood.

(Now: if you are or were a follower, that is 100% fine and please don't bail on me quite yet.)

It's just that those books lost me when they talked about how once or twice during nine months of pregnancy, an expectant mom could "splurge" and have a scoop of frozen yogurt with a drizzle of fat-free chocolate syrup. Splurge. Because, hello, I was the kind of mom-under-construction who was having two scoops of premium triple-chocolate with full-on hot fudge sauce at least once a week, thank you very much.

No, I was really looking for a different kind of parenting book. What to Expect When You're Expecting Something That Will Change Your Life Forever and Turn You Into an Utterly Different Human Being, maybe?

Which would actually be a very short book, because no one can tell a new mom-to-be what motherhood will be like. And even if they tried, that mom-in-waiting wouldn't believe it. 

Maybe it's because my oldest is getting ready for her senior year and I'm feeling all nostalgic and sappy and introspective, but I realized the other day that there was a lot I didn't know in my Days B.C. (Before Children). 

I've got items 1-10 of that lot up on Her View From Home today. Honestly, it would make my week (at least) if you'd head over and check them out. And while you're there, will you tell me what you've realized you didn't know before you became a mom? Please don't leave me alone in my confessions of ignorance here. Thanks, mama.

*This post may have been shared at some of these blog bashes.*

My Top 5 Mom Lessons (So Far)

I approached first-time motherhood pretty much the same way I did getting my bachelor's degree: like a crazed maniac. I was going for a 4.0 in pre-motherhood studies, baby. I read everything I could get my hands on about how to wash tiny onesies, how to swaddle a baby, how to breastfeed, how to give my baby a bath, how to get my newborn to sleep through the night, how to provide adequate tummy time for my infant, how to ensure proper sensory stimulation for my baby, and, just for good measure, how to discipline a toddler and raise a respectful teenager.

Then I had the baby. And pretty much gave up on everything but that sleep deal.

Over the course of the 17 years since the birth of my eldest (who is, as it turns out, a pretty respectful teenager, thanks for asking), I kept up my on-the-job training in the school of motherhood. I learned how to get permanent marker off the walls, how to hem a dance costume at the eleventh hour, and what in the world “box multiplication” is. But while I was figuring out how to be a mom (a learning curve that still hasn't straightened out for me), I also gleaned a few lessons that spill over into the rest of my life. And honestly, I'm not sure I could have learned these any other way.

A baker's dozen (at least) of triple-chocolate caramel cookies goes to Power of Moms for letting me ramble on about these lessons. They put this up awhile ago, but the start of a new year seemed like a good time to throw it on here. I know it's a pain to be redirected, but I'd be eternally grateful if you'd head on over and peruse my top 5. And as long as I'm being demanding, I'd also love it if you came back and added your own hard-won maternal wisdom to the list. Thanks, mama. You deserve an A+.