It Takes A Village — kendra

Mar 21

Mar 21 It Takes A Village

It's really easy as a mom to get into a rut of feeling under-appreciated ... even when you know you are. "He has no idea how much I really do" or "they'll never understand what my life really looks like" are thoughts we all likely have, regardless of how many kids you have, whether you work at home, stay at home or work outside the house (or a combination of it all!).

I think we as moms can encourage each other, fill each other's buckets (if you don't have this book for your kids, it's a MUST) and love on each other most effectively, as we an relate to each other's wins & losses, and fill in for each other where others might not know to. Hint: It doesn't take much! It's sort of like Christmas shopping .... whenever I'm out picking out gifts, I always think about all the amazing gifts I could give to someone like myself, HA! But I'm the only person I don't buy for. #irony

Here's a few ideas how we, as moms, can lift each other up... cause we know BEST what us mamas need!

1. Send your mama friends a bouquet of flowers on their baby's first birthday ... this little gesture goes a long way and just gives mamas a little encouragament ... a "you did it!". (Flowers are also appreciated on the most normal of days!) Farm Girl Flowers are our favorites!!

2. Deliver coffee to a mama stuck at home. We've all had those moments where we're trapped in the house, whether it's nap time, a brand new baby, sick babes or just can't gather the circus. If you find yourself near a coffee shop, help a sista out and bring her some coffee (bonus for Donuts!!)

3. Make double if you're doing a crock pot dinner or something similar that's easy to duplicate. Pack it up Pioneer Woman style and drop that baby off at someones front door. I promise you, it won't get wasted.

4. Invite, Invite, Invite! I'm always trying to find something to do with the kids (especially when the weather is gross) and we're almost always open to invitations to doing things! We love to invite friends over, meet at parks or coffee shops or even adventure together to museums or new places. Going somewhere is easier with a group, feels less intimidating sometimes, and let's face it ... 4 year olds can only be so interesting. A mama needs to vent sometimes!

5. An encouraging word goes a really long way. A simple text to let someone know they're an amazing mom, their kids are so sweet or that they're doing a great job balancing it all really goes a long way. It doesn't cost a dime to be nice to someone, and I've never met someone who doesn't love an encouraging compliment. Win-win, my friends.

It's often said that it's "take a village" to raise kids, but let's be honest, it also takes a village to keep us moms afloat. I'd be nothing if not for my friends & family, who love me, regardless of how my kids act, regardless of what I'm wearing (or not wearing) and ultimately, regardless of how much I can suck as a friend sometimes. Be encouraged, we all drop the ball, we all have hard days and our kids all act like lunatics. If you're at a place where you can pass along a little joy & encourage a mama, DO IT. Not only will you brighten her day, you'll brighten your own!