"Scary Mommy" Jill Smokler on How to Survive Motherhood
Motherhood is the hardest (and best!) job I've had in my life. I was thrown into it without much preparation and was totally and completely overwhelmed. I wish someone had sat me down and given me some real survival tips—not the What to Expect kind, but the real ones that would have made my days easier. Since nobody did, I'm doing it for you!
Here are my tricks and tips for making motherhood as un-scary as possible!
report abuseHere are my tricks and tips for making motherhood as un-scary as possible!
- Have a sense of humor! If I didn't have the ability to laugh at myself, I would constantly be in tears —motherhood is HARD! I simply can't imagine surviving without one.
- Don't judge other mothers! Easier said than done, I know, but it's so important. Once you've been the parent of the kid in a mismatched outfit or embarrassing screamfest at the grocery store, who are you to judge, anyway?
- Have tons of baby wipes on hand! You can never have enough. EVER. Keep them in your diaper bag, on every floor of the house and in the car. My kids are long out of diapers, and I use wipes more than ever. Hard to believe I ever lived without them.
- Don't compete! There will always be someone doing it better than you. The mother who manages to shower and prepare dinner before dawn and the one with triplets whose home is still immaculate. It's a good thing motherhood isn't a contest.
- Have internet access! I feel so, so lucky to be a mother in a day and age when support is just a click away. The village it takes to raise our kids no longer has to be around the block, they can be on the other side of the country! I find so much support through my Confessional, boards and other bloggers. We really aren't ever alone!
Submit!
