Judge Not the Mothers

After years of being critical of my own mothering skills, I learned a new way of looking at life, other mothers and myself. Now I am more compassionate than critical about perceived failures.

Recently a viral video of a mother of six dragging one of her sons off the streets of Baltimore, screaming at him for throwing bricks at police officers, has gripped the nation. Suddenly she is a great mom and a hero, yet she is in truth just being a mom. She has her good days and her not good days. No mom wants to be embarrassed by her children’s actions, but when the child makes poor choices, it is often done in the public eye though mothers would prefer it were not seen by anyone else.

Judging My Younger Self

So when I look back at my younger self, instead of seeing an exhausted mom, I see food in the refrigerator which means I shopped and put food away. I see cared-for children exploring their environment; climbing the walls so to speak, stealing cake; and a dog being fed. I see a woman utterly overwhelmed–but only for a moment. It is not the way life works for me all the time. I see a mom who will gather my wits about me and tidy up in time for dinner. Or else I will take a much needed nap and let the house be messy. Whether tidy or disorganized, no one’s home is perfect or should be. Perfection is too big a burden for any mom to carry on this or any other day.  To all Moms out there doing the best they can, keep up the good work. No judgment for you only appreciation from all of us at ROR.

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