Challenging Life Lessons 2020 Taught Me About Being A Mother
A response to the Family Matters prompt for January
This last year, 2020, has taught me a lot about being a mother. It has taught me to loosen my grip on what I think it means to be a good mother. It has taught me that I can’t, despite the myth, have and do it all.
For many mothers, myself included, quarantine stripped away our community, our village, and tested our patience in ways that it hadn’t been tested before. Our homes became our self-contained environment where we played the role of mothers, teachers, cooks, coaches, and IT techs. Many of us did all of these jobs whilst still doing our paid jobs.
Yes, it has been a struggle, but there is a lesson or ten with every good struggle.
Parenting Looks Different for Each of Us
My partner is taking care of our three-year-old while I work from home. He isn’t used to being around her all the time. He is a professional who used to travel regularly. He doesn’t know what she eats for breakfast (bananas), which show she likes to watch (Tayo The Little Bus), or her favorite underwear (the pink Elsa ones). He is learning how to parent our daughter’s day-to-day activities.
