Impossibly Perfect.

How does the mom with the two well behaved kids in the store do it? Both her kids had shoes on and clean matching clothes. They even had socks on! SOCKS! They sat so nicely in the cart at Costco, right in front of me at the check out. And there I was.... Standing with my son having a fit about my phone dying and without his shoes in his jammies. My daughter wearing shoes, without socks and mismatched clothes. And of course she having curly hair, even though I brushed it, it was still a mess. 

So there I was wondering how does she she look amazing, in shape and dressed well, while I am in the same boat with two kids and still look I rolled out of bed and dragged my kids along with whatever they had on? How does she do it all? What is her secret formula? 

As I load my messy car with kids and groceries it still boggles my mind. Then it kinda just dawned on me. What was I holding myself to that standard again? The standard of being a well put together perfect mom with perfect kids? That kind of thinking leads to unrealistic thoughts. Its makes us as mother miserable about who we are and not thankful for the amazing women we are and how blessed we already are.

First, the point is not about the "perfect" mom we saw in the line at Costco. Its about how we look at ourselves and compare to what we "think" is the perfect mom. For all we know she was just having a really good day. Heck those could have been her niece and nephew she was watching. Who knows! I just saw a woman with kids and assumed she was a mother who knew how to do it right. I made someone up in my head and right then I decided I needed to try achieve to be that pretend person.

Why? Why do we to this to ourselves? Why to we a brief glance at someone or a situation and wish to have that? Imagine on the day we have had a good moment. Like our house was perfectly clean when company came over, or you sent your kids off to school, well fed, well dressed? Imagine is another mother caught you in those great moments and assumed you had it all! You were the "it" mom who ha the right formula to life to make it work perfectly. If they ever came up to you and asked "How do you do it?" you would smile and be proud, but inwardly know that you were just happy you having a great day. Most days your children were running around without socks with messy hair. 

Stop! Not sure how else to say, but just stop doing it. Stop holding yourself to an impossible standard and stop thinking the other mother know how to do it better. We are created differently, and made to raise our children to be unique individuals. There was never meant to be one perfect way to be a mother. I don't think there is even a right formula you could use to help stop holding these impossible standards. We just have to keep being encouraging to each other. Keeping reminding ourselves, we are not only good enough, but perfectly imperfect and just right for out children. Keep telling yourself, you don't need to be impossibly perfect.

Anyways those are my thoughts for today. 

God bless