I’m a Good Mom

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Lately, I’ve been having a pity party of 1.  Maybe it was all that talk about not knowing how to discipline my wild child.  Maybe it was one too many diaper changes gone wrong.  Maybe it was yet another tantrum over nothing at all.  I can’t exactly pinpoint when it started, but I do know that recently I’ve been feeling like a giant mom disaster.

Are we giving her too much screen time?  Did I remember to brush her teeth tonight?  Should I really have given her that cookie when she didn’t even eat her dinner?  Am I giving in too frequently to her every request?  Do I give her enough intentional one-on-one time? The self-doubt can be consuming.

Enough wallowing in my own self-pity.  It’s time for a good old-fashioned attitude adjustment! 

I’m not a parenting expert.  I’m not the greatest DIY-er.  I’m not into arts and crafts.  I don’t bake from scratch.  I’ve spent nights away from my daughter.  Heck, I spend the majority of my days away from her at work!

And yet, I am a good mom.

I feel like I can breathe a sigh of relief just making that simple proclamation.  It’s like an invisible weight has been lifted from my shoulders.  If you’re anything like me, tooting your own horn can feel somewhat pretentious.  However, there is a freedom and a sense of empowerment in allowing yourself to admit that despite your many flaws, you are a good parent.

I know that I’m a good mom because …

  • I’ve memorized Corduroy forwards and backwards and read it approximately 17 times a day because it’s her favorite.
  • I always let her eat the last bite of my peanut butter toast, even though I really want it for myself.
  • I re-watch the same episode of The Mickey Mouse Club House time and time again, just to hear gleefully her declare, “Wilbur…funny!” [that’s Daisy’s grasshopper, for those of you not in the know]
  • I’ve sacrificed my Better Homes and Gardens dreams, and my house now looks like a very messy, bright, and plastic advertisement for Fisher Price.
  • Our pantry is never without her favorite staples: Goldfish, bunny grahams, and Sunny Day bars. Snacks are life, am I right?
  • Even though she’s 2, I still hold her during nap time as often as I can because I simply can’t put her down when she’s peacefully sleeping in my arms.
  • I comb through photos and videos of her after she’s gone to bed for the night because I miss her almost instantly.
  • I’m not afraid to embarrass myself by dancing (way off beat) around the house or singing (way off key) in the car because it makes her laugh that infectious deep belly cackle.
  • She always comes first.
  • I can freely and openly admit that most of the time, I have no idea what I’m doing, but I will never stop trying to be the best mom I can be to my girl.

I’m willing to bet that if you think about it, you can easily come up with your own list of things that make you a good mom, too.

Let me help you get started: if your kiddo(s) come first, you love them fiercely, and you aren’t afraid to make a fool out of yourself in the name of parenthood, then you, too, are a good mom. 

Let’s flip the script on self-doubt and celebrate what we do right as moms!

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Mallory Skidmore
Hello! My name is Mallory, and I am a Troy native. I now live in Beavercreek with my husband, our daughter, Greer (May 2016) and son, Smith (Feb. 2019). The first few years of parenthood have taught me that I still have so much to learn! I’m trying to figure it out with a little bit of humor and a lot of humility. I believe that we are our best selves when we are on vacation, that life should be more like a Hallmark movie, that local restaurants are far superior to chains, that birthdays should be week long celebrations, and that you can never have too many library cards.

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