In another breath, I’ve noticed that when people talk about the JOYS of motherhood, it’s often in non-specific statements like “motherhood is wonderful” without elaborating and sharing more. Sometimes I think it’s really, really good and really helpful to think about the specifics, especially on the hard days. Why is motherhood amazing? Why, at the end of the day, when my head hits the pillow and my mind and my body are completely exhausted, do I feel my heart ache with joy when I think about my children?
So today I wanted to share some of my specifics — Some of the reasons motherhood is my favorite thing in the whole word. And I’d love it if you shared some of yours, too!
Motherhood is the best because…
All of the sudden Santa is real again, Halloween is overwhelmingly awesome again and you always seem to find a little helper beside you to help you blow out your birthday candles
Holding the sweaty palm of a child feels like you’re holding onto everything that’s right in the world
When a song comes on that your child loves, they stop everything they’re doing because they just HAVE to move to the beat and it’s the perfect reminder how GOOD it feels for YOU to shake your booty and spin around and jump in the air with your tiny dance partner
Watching your child show compassion and kindness towards others feels bigger and better and more important than any accolade
Singing Disney songs at the top of your lungs in the car is not only acceptable but strongly encouraged by some very high-pitched, enthusiastic little cheerleaders in the backseat
For such a small but incredibly precious period of time, you know all you can possibly know about another person from their physical and emotional needs to seemingly trivial things like which stuffed animal is their favorite, the perfect song to sing to soothe them when they’re sad, the story they would listen to 100 times in a row, which vegetable will get thrown on the floor and which vegetable will actually make it into their mouth
You get a daily crash-course in the importance of communicating well and communicating often
There is no better sound than your child’s laughter
With a child, there’s no pretense — No means no, yes means yes, tears mean sadness, words speak truth and laughter means they’re overflowing with joy
The love for your children feels like it could actually consume you — it’s physical and emotional and vulnerable and so incredibly pure
You know that even though it feels like you’re in the thick of it every day, you’re smack-dab in the middle of living something beautiful that you will long to repeat in the future
You’re constantly in awe of the fact that you were somehow trusted to raise babies and make them kind, generous, strong, respectful, hard-working, compassionate, loving humans and it makes you take a hard look at how you are modeling this behavior for them
You get to play and experience childhood all over again
Motherhood completely shifts your priorities and makes you realize that as long as your family is happy and healthy you have everything you need to be immensely grateful
Now it’s your turn!
Motherhood is the best because…
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It’s like you took the words straight from my soul and put it on paper. Love this!
<3 <3
A beautiful list and reminder to stop and be grateful because this crazy time in our lives are brief. Motherhood is the best because these little guys constantly surprise me (I grew up with a sister), with sword fighting/wearing spider man first thing in the a.m! They help me to stop and really listen, see the wonder through their eyes and be grateful for our many blessings. My oldest is 4 and I already see the little gentleman he’s becoming holding doors for me and anyone else. I love seeing the things we teach him shine through in these moments.
Oh gosh, I love this so much! Motherhood is the best because no matter how exhausted I am or what mood I’m in, I can’t help but smiling when I see my sweet baby girl with the biggest smile in her crib every morning, and even more when my 3 year old wants to climb in to say good morning to her. Holidays are so much more fun now through the eyes of a child and I love his excitement over every “spooky” decoration in our neighborhood. My all time favorite thing right now might be when my son says, “Mommy, I wanna snuggle.” It’s so exhausting (my daughter was up 5 times last night as I write this and I’m drinking ALL the coffee) but there really isn’t anything I’d rather do than raise these babies. So fun to watch them learn and grow and become their own little people.
Beautifully written! ?
What an awesome blog post! Motherhood is the best because it brings out the very best side of me and my husband. That’s not to say things don’t get stressful at times, but my husband and I basically turn to mush when it comes to our son. We are both type-A people who are not overly emotional, but our little boy brings out a joy and sensitivity that is such a blessing. He really is just a ball of sunshine who has taught us to really appreciate the little things.
Motherhood is the best because you are reminded a million times a day about all the simple joys in life.
Thank you for this post. I REALLY needed this today!
Such a beautiful post! I’m about a month out from my due date with my first — can’t wait to experience all of this and more 🙂
Motherhood opens up a place in your heart that you didn’t know existed. It brings a joy and warmth to your heart that can not be replicated by anything else.
Man when my boys look in my eyes with a smile, it’s almost like a time warp. It’s like the world stands still for that one second and I feel their soul to the depths of my being.
Motherhood is hard. But do you ever noticed the older women at the grocery store? or at target? They have that empathetic smile as you are wrangling your kids? That is a humble reminder that these days are fleeting. I try to be as grateful as I can.
yes!! and the way older women constantly stop to remind me how much they miss this phase? it happens over and over again and even though chase and ryder are only 4 and 1, i can already tell time will FLY by.
After a long day at work and then an equally long evening trying to get the three year-old to eat dinner and go on the potty instead of her undies while keeping the six-month-old happy…. the entire world falls away to complete JOY and LOVE when I sit in anticipation waiting for her to tell me whether I get the tiiiiiight hug or the [tiny] hug, the BIG hug or the running hug for bedtime! And even though daddy will try to steal a first hug she will gently remind him with a wag of her finger that Mommy goes first. LIFE IS GOOD.
aw what a sweetheart! and you get that first hug, mama!! 🙂
This is just beautiful! And thoughtfully written. What a wonderful mama you are. You truly take nothing for granted and your family is so lucky to have you. Y’all are a sweet family!
My only child is five months old, so I have plenty of time to experience so much of what you’ve written, but at this stage of life…
Motherhood is the best because there is no greater music than the sound of baby giggles and shrieks of excitement.
Motherhood is the best because holding a sleeping baby can make time stand still.
Motherhood is the best because it is a daily and sometimes hourly reminder to not sweat the small stuff.
And after two miscarriages, motherhood is the best because it is a reminder that God’s promises are always fulfilled. And I am grateful. <3
love your comment so much, jen. and love the comment about time standing still — motherhood is a lesson in being truly PRESENT and that’s something i didn’t anticipate but really value.
It’s the best because we love each other with our whole hearts! Is there anything more amazing than a little one saying “mama” and wrapping their arms tightly around your neck!
You’ve summed this season up perfectly ♡
What a lovely post! It brings happy tears to my eyes. Motherhood is the best b/c watching my son learn new skills is inspiriting. Motherhood is the best because he has such innocent joy about everything in life. Motherhood is the best when he sees me first thing in the morning or when I pick him up from daycare and he smiles the biggest smile and reaches for me. Motherhood is the best for bedtime cuddles while rocking him to sleep.
Because it has this way of making you fall more deeply in love with your spouse. Watching my husband lovingly father our children makes me love him in an all new way.
yes!! <3 and i love having someone to tell endless stories to about our kids who will love the stories as much as i do... and someone to text a four-year-old's ridiculous one-liners to all day long
I saw this on your IG and loved it!
Motherhood is the best because it gives me hope for the future. There’s a lot of crazy/scary/hard in the world, but when my daughter comes to cover me with a blanket while I’m napping without being asked or my son quickly crawls over to give me a hug when I’m sad, I know that there is hope for a better world.
I also love the fresh perspective on language that kids give you–you never stop to think how some of our phrases sound to little ears, and it gives me endless delight to hear the funny things kids come up with as they try and grasp the fullness of the English language.
i totally agree with you on both aspects of your comment! and the language thing is soooo true — it also makes me realize how complicated our language can be an how many words have different meanings (orange/orange, brake/break, for/four etc.) — no wonder these kids have so many questions!
Thank you So much for this!! As a soon to be first time mom I keep hearing about the struggles and I really appreciate people being open and honest about their experiences so I don’t feel as much guilt, overwhelm or shame when times are tough BUT I haven’t heard a lot about the positive and I really crave to hear this so thank you.
I am finding the same with childbirth, I am doing a lot of work to go into it optimistically and am taking a lot of classes and reading a lot of books to have a calm, positive birth experience but all anyone wants to tell me about is their “horror” stories and I appreciate that everyone has their own experience but I don’t believe going into labour in fear will help me bring this baby into the world.
So one last time, thank you for writing this and for reminding me of the most important job I’m soon to have <3
I had the exact same feeling a you as a soon to be mama. I actually left a comment on another favorite blog of mine asking for some of the good things about new motherhood because it seems all anyone wants to talk about is how hard it is. And now that I have a 16 month old I can say for certain that the beauty in motherhood far far far outweighs the hard things. Like many things in life, it’s what you choose to focus on. So I hope you can look forward to this new chapter with wonder and excitement and know that the love you’re about to feel is the greatest gift.
Motherhood is the best because babies smell amazing, they are so present and so pure, and have zero filters to hide their big emotions. Seeing how quickly a little one can recover from something and be joyful all over again is amazing – they don’t hold onto anything for too long. Motherhood is also the best because it reveals a whole new aspect of YOU, and how can you not be bowled over by the strength and tenderness you’ll see in yourself.
“Seeing how quickly a little one can recover from something and be joyful all over again is amazing” <-- I never thought about this but YES!!! How amazing and resilient our little ones are!
Oh man, totally relate to this comment. When I was pregnant, I got to the point where I basically flat out said I didn’t want to hear horror stories. A few times I had to (I did it in a joking manner) interrupt folks and say something like “I’m scared enough about childbirth, please don’t make it worse.”
FWIW though, I was so terrified of it, I found that (for me) the more research I did made it worse, so I just sort of opted to know enough of what to expect and then trust my nurses on the rest. And the nurses were wonderful. They explained things if I asked how or why. They helped me in so many unexpected ways!
My unsolicited advice is…there is no right or wrong way to prep for childbirth. You do what you feel is best for you! If that’s protecting yourself from bad stories, do it. If it’s doing alllllllll the research, do it. Hugs, new mama, you got this!
Labor is going to be what it is going to be, it isn’t a final exam that you can study for. There are so many things outside our control and I think it hurts soon to be mothers when society pushes the idea of pregnancy and labor as a seminar with a capstone project to be prepared for and aced. . I am not saying not to read up or take a class, that is totally normal. I am confident that the majority of stories you are told aren’t meant to freak you out. I think the point of sharing was to try to keep you from feeling blindsided by the unexpected. I imagine that many of these women felt blindsided themselves. I am sorry to hear that people have amped up your anxiety but I think it is from a place of concern, however misguided.
I love love love this!
Motherhood is the best because it makes you stop and appreciate the moment. You also really start to question and learn new things, like at 7AM when you have to ask Alexa, “what happens if a poisonous spider eats poison ivy” 😉
hahaha! i am convinced that the facts i now know about sharks would rival a marine biologist.
Aww, Julie, I love this SO much! I love people online who share the highs and lows/truths. Anyone who only posts the highlight reels isn’t for me. It makes me feel inferior even though I know life is full of peaks and valleys for all of us.
I have a Facebook page called “Motherhood is Pure Bliss…and All the Other Lies”. It is meant to be humorous and is the place I share the crazy and funny things about being a mom to two wild boys. I taught seventh grade English for nine years before becoming a mom and used to keep track of the funny/crazy things that happened. I always love to find humor in situations that are sometimes tough. I adore the author of The Honest Toddler – Bunmi L. (I can’t remember her exact name but her Facebook page is amazing. Her post today is SO great. You must check her out if you haven’t already!)
Motherhood is wonderful because the look on your child’s face when they see you before you scoop them out of the crib when they wake up from a nap, or when you pick them up from preschool is just the best. Also, cuddling to watch a show or read a book, dancing together, watching your kids interacting in sweet ways, and holding a little one when they are asleep (or falling asleep) is the best feeling in the world.
Yes! I heard 90% bad things about parenthood from all of my friends before I had my baby. It really made me question whether or not it was worth it. I LOVE being a mom, my son fills my days with love and joy. I make a point to tell everyone who asks just how amazing it is.
This post brings me so much comfort and joy!! I’m pregnant with my first and every now and then I just feel really really freaked out because all anyone talks/posts/memes about is how hard it is and how much their life has changed negatively from having kids. I know it’ll be tough and I appreciate that the conversation is happening but that line of thinking also just terrifies me. Reading this is making me excited for our little one’s arrival!!!
aw elle!! i relate to your comment so much. i knew i wanted a family but was truly VERY intimidated by the thought of having a baby. i never could’ve been prepared for just how much i LOVE my children and how much i love being their mother. it’s my favorite thing in the world. i am so, so happy for you! <3
I have to jump in and say congratulations!! Yes, there is so much that is hard and that changes but every single time my husband and I talk about those things, we immediately say “but we wouldn’t change it for the world!!” And that is the absolute truth!!! You have no idea the amount of fun and LOVE you’re about to experience. Enjoy!
Love all of those reasons but I wanted to add one that rings true for me lately as I’ve just returned to work and we are adjusting to the daycare routine.
Motherhood is the best because you can be having the WORST. DAY.EVER but the moment you walk in the door to pick up your son from daycare, he sees you. Before you have the chance to say hello! His eyes light up instantly. He squeals with pure joy and does his awkward one year old wobbly walk towards you as fast as his unsteady legs will go saying ” mamma mamma!! ” as he gives you what feels like the best hug of all time.
And just in that moment… when the second part of my day begins, its the best day ever 🙂
I love this, Stephanie! Sounds like you have a little boy who knows he has a wonderful mama!
My little squish isn’t mobile yet, so I see her smile and eyes light up when I pick her up from daycare and it is the BEST.
But I absolutely can’t wait for the wobbly walk and the “maaaaammmmaaa” that I hope will come in the future! Your comment and just imagining it made me smile so big!
Motherhood is the best because the joy that it will bring your heart to watch your child discover new things is unparalleled. Their look of wonder and curiosity brings a whole new perspective to how I look at seemingly mundane things.
Absolutely! And rediscovering things that you’ve always enjoyed in a new way.
This made my heart beat a little faster and my eyes tear up. I struggle to find the words about how motherhood has changed me. Sometimes I find words can’t really convey the emotions and feelings and super huge love I feel for my baby. But you succeeded in capturing so much of what I feel. What a gift you have to turn all of it into beautiful words. Have you ever thought of writing a book? For me- motherhood is the swelling feeling in my heart when I look down at my baby as he nurses and looks up at me or when he has little hand clasped around my fingers as he falls asleep. It’s like everything is perfect in the word during these quiet moments.
I completely agree about the feeling when a little one falls asleep with their tiny hand clasped around you. It’s unlike anything else in the world and make me feel the most overwhelming yet simple emotion of pure love. <3
Motherhood is the best because no matter what happens the rest of your life, you will never feel as needed as when you were raising your children.
I think this is one of the best posts I’ve ever read, and agree completely that it’s much more rare to hear the specifics of the reasons motherhood is so wonderful. We have three little girls (4, 2 and 6 months) and every time I’m in town without fail I hear, “you have your hands full!” My response is always, “happily!” It’s a privilege to spend my days with my girls, and to get to enjoy those endless questions, funny lines, ridiculous outbursts and all that a ‘regular’ day brings. Thanks for putting our beautiful lives of motherhood into words❤️
As someone struggling to have a family i love reading this. I hear all to often (jokingly) are sure you want kids? Its a lot of work. Its an 18 year commitment, etc. While I understand that being a parent is hard and lots of work, I know the joy will always out weigh it. I will take every hardship to have all that joy.
Thanks for sharing the joy motherhood brings you.
Motherhood is the best because parenting our son has also showed me what it means to be on a team with my husband and how amazing it is to do it together. I love watching my husband make our son laugh or comfort him when he’s crying.
I love this post SO much!! What a wonderful way to look at motherhood. Thank you for sharing!
I geared up reading this! I recently transitioned to stay at home mom status with my 2 year old son and we are expecting baby #2 in the next few weeks (maybe those were hormone years ha!). I LOVE being a full time mom! Every day is a new day, with some surprise waiting for us. Whether that surprise be my son’s new love of holding my hand during meals or him learning a new skill or him trying a new vegetable – these little surprises bring so much joy to my life. Yes, every day has it’s not so picture perfect moments – a meltdown over nothing, a diaper change refusal, a lunchtime food fight – but I can honestly say I go to bed each night with a full heart.
Uuuuggghhhhhhhh I love this so so so much!!!!!!! Motherhood is the best bc tiny people look at YOU with all the love, and trust in the world. Motherhood is the best bc of small ha ds in mine. EVEY SINGLE TIME my kids hold my hand i feel it in my heart. I know there will come a time when they wont want to, so I’m acutely aware of the warm feeling of their hands in mine. I find myself smelling them, staring at them and just generally soaking in every moment I can.
Motherhood is staring at the mess in my house right after I clean it. I often say to my husband “someday I wont have to spend so much time cleaning up and I’ll be sad to have more free time, bc it means my babies arent babies anymore”. Or I’ll look at my beautiful breakable home decor items that have been packed away for 5 years and think ” while I do miss the look my living room used to have, I’m sad to use them again bc it means my kids arent little anymore”.
Motherhood is amazing, warm, sticky, and sometimes gross. But one look from my 3 sets of big brown eyed babies makes my heart explode with more joy than I could even describe.
making me cry! Had a rough afternoon with my 4 yr old daughter (me not her) and i really needed this reminder… might have to print this out and hang it in my kitchen!