Guest Blog: We’re all in this together.
The cool thing about being a mom is that it’s one of the few jobs in the world that women have been doing, well, since the dawn of mankind.
Sure — there are some new gadgets here and there, “new-ish” parenting philosophies, and certainly new challenges (hello, internet). But at the heart of it, our moms, our moms’ moms, and our moms’ moms’ moms all followed the same sequence of events to become mothers — and felt a similar series of emotions while raising babies.
No matter what century, country or culture we’re a part of, every woman who has felt a child kick her ribs and hug her neck has experienced the coming-of-age ritual that takes you from woman… to mother. And every mother has learned: as your belly grows and your child grows, so does your heart.
When I started 3ThingsforMom.com, I knew that I wanted to feature inspiring women of all shapes, sizes, ages, faiths, cultures, backgrounds, parenting styles and lifestyles. But in doing so, I also knew that what would make it such a unique, encouraging place for women is that it’s not just about advice. It’s about a mother’s love.
That sentiment is one that calms my “Who do you think you are?” instinct when being on the receiving end of unsolicited advice. (We’ve all been there, haven’t we?) In the Target checkout line, from family members, coworkers, well-meaning women in elevators, doctors, Starbucks baristas, you name it — moms like to give advice. But what I know now is that they’re rarely doing it to annoy, condescend or criticize. They’re doing it out of love.
When I was a young mom, pregnant with my first (you know, when I knew it all?) I didn’t always appreciate this advice. Now—as a mom to three— I am eager to give and eager to learn, because the more I live, the more I know just how much I don’t know.
In a job that women have been doing forever, we’re still perfecting our craft. We’re still figuring out what works for us—and what works for our children. After all, there’s never been another you or your baby. And no matter our differences, our points of view, our highchair or crib sheet or baby food preferences, a mother’s love is universal.
And we’re all in this together.
Lauren Warner is a freelance writer and Founder of 3ThingsforMom.com. Her writing has appeared in Southern Living, Catholic Digest, and on Parents.com among others. Lauren lives with her husband and three children in Texas where everything truly is bigger — including the piles of laundry.
