I believe that God gives every child the mother they need to become the best they can be in the world. No two mums are the same and this is exactly how God intended it because no two children are the same!
As a mother, I aim to constantly provide for the needs of my little Rascal, both short-term and long-term. This means that Rascal always gets what she needs short-term. She gets what she wants short-term only when it doesn’t affect what she needs long-term. For example, if she wants a drink of my juice, I will not allow her to have any because long-term, that will affect the way her body uses energy and she will crave more and more sugar, not to mention her teeth, etc! But if she wants to play with my scarf or some other safe thing, there is no reason why she cannot do that and it will make her happy, so I will let her.
I also believe that humans need a sense of routine, something familiar. Not rigid in any way, but rather I believe that Rascal needs a flexible routine. That has been my aim from the start. Coming from a Primary Teaching background where every day is outlined in a barely changing timetable, I never questioned whether or not I would have a routine. I just knew I would. And I have had since the very first day home. I am a routine person, so in the beginning of motherhood, I had to make a conscious effort to not worry if the routine wasn’t followed exactly. I have a friend who once told me to focus on the aim of what you are trying to do; for example – you are trying to feed your baby. She is crying because her teeth are hurting when she sucks. So you express your milk into a bottle and attach a soft teat. Baby eats. Job done. It doesn’t matter that you had to follow different steps that would not be in the ideal routine, it just matters that the baby was fed, which was the original aim.
As a mother, I aim to constantly provide for the needs of my little Rascal, both short-term and long-term. This means that Rascal always gets what she needs short-term. She gets what she wants short-term only when it doesn’t affect what she needs long-term. For example, if she wants a drink of my juice, I will not allow her to have any because long-term, that will affect the way her body uses energy and she will crave more and more sugar, not to mention her teeth, etc! But if she wants to play with my scarf or some other safe thing, there is no reason why she cannot do that and it will make her happy, so I will let her.
I also believe that humans need a sense of routine, something familiar. Not rigid in any way, but rather I believe that Rascal needs a flexible routine. That has been my aim from the start. Coming from a Primary Teaching background where every day is outlined in a barely changing timetable, I never questioned whether or not I would have a routine. I just knew I would. And I have had since the very first day home. I am a routine person, so in the beginning of motherhood, I had to make a conscious effort to not worry if the routine wasn’t followed exactly. I have a friend who once told me to focus on the aim of what you are trying to do; for example – you are trying to feed your baby. She is crying because her teeth are hurting when she sucks. So you express your milk into a bottle and attach a soft teat. Baby eats. Job done. It doesn’t matter that you had to follow different steps that would not be in the ideal routine, it just matters that the baby was fed, which was the original aim.
"I believe that God gives every child the mother they need to become the best they can be in the world. No two mums are the same and this is exactly how God intended it because no two children are the same!"
Obviously, it would be wonderful if everything could always go to plan, but we mothers know that this doesn’t always happen. For some children it may be a rare occurrence to follow the routine. For others, it may be the norm. I found I just needed to be open to coming up with a new idea when the ideal one didn’t work that day. Fortunately for me, Rascal is usually up with the routine. But if she isn’t, we tweak it until it works. I have come to love the challenge of working out a new routine when the other one isn’t working anymore. I also love then explaining this routine to anyone who will listen, though that doesn’t seem to be too many people! Our routine has become an ever-evolving work-in-progress that has adjusted to Rascal’s changing needs and maturity. It has worked beautifully for my daughter and I. I look forward to coming up with more routines as she reaches one year old and beyond.
My motherhood creed is, then, to let God show me the kind of mum I need to be for Rascal. I want to provide a stable environment where she is loved and cared for in both the short-term and long-term. I want to meet the challenges of motherhood with determination and stability, with flexibility and creativity. And I want to have fun and learn lots while doing it!
Libby :)
My motherhood creed is, then, to let God show me the kind of mum I need to be for Rascal. I want to provide a stable environment where she is loved and cared for in both the short-term and long-term. I want to meet the challenges of motherhood with determination and stability, with flexibility and creativity. And I want to have fun and learn lots while doing it!
Libby :)
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