Some of what drives my soul is empowering women. A branch from that is supporting and empowering moms no matter the stage of motherhood that they are in. Motherhood looks different for each of us as there are many stages and groups. We have the moms to be, the new moms, the toddler moms, the stepmoms, the moms that add grand to the title, the homeschool moms, the moms of twins, the moms of teens, the sports moms, the stay at home moms and so many more out there.
While we focus on welcoming each other as moms, sometimes we can’t help but gravitate to the moms that we have the most in common with. This does not mean that we have nothing in common with the others. It only means that we are in the same stage of motherhood.
Below are some mindful notes that I’ve made for myself to empower moms that are not in the same stage as I am.
Engage and Connect with Different Moms
I’ve learned from some of the networking events that I have attended that each mom has a story about their current stage of motherhood and want to talk about it. I make it a point to connect with those moms that are in a different stage than me. For example, at a recent event I met a mom that was in her 50’s or 60’s. I could see in her eyes that she wanted to connect and share her story as the younger moms were doing. Her children no longer live at home. I sat with her and her husband as they shared photos with me of where their son currently resides. It turns out that we had more in common than I thought. We both had visited Asheville, NC and we share the love for breweries in Miami.
Celebrate Moms in All Stages
Motherhood should be celebrated daily. No matter the stage that we are in, at the end of the day we made it as a mom. If you are starting motherhood and you meet a mom who has their children transitioning to middle school, let’s celebrate her stage as much as you love for another to celebrate how you are doing as a new mom. Same as if you are a mom that has her kids in high school already and you meet a mom-to-be, share that moment under the umbrella of motherhood and give her grace as she’s entering this journey.
Listen and Be Compassionate
Don’t we all struggle as moms? Especially when it comes to disciplining our kids? Let’s stop judging each other on the decisions we make with our children as moms. One morning, a mom that is a member at the all women’s gym I attend, walked in fuming. As she started to let it all out on a vent about the mess her kids made right before school, I stood there for a moment to listen and I thought to myself how I’ve been there many times. She had a tone of frustration because she did not know what to do to discipline them. She also felt some guilt because she had yelled at them. Her eyes started to get teary and at that moment, I hugged her. I didn’t judge her for yelling at them. I did not interrupt her vent by saying one of my stories. This was her stage in motherhood – finding the disciplinary balance. So, I showed her compassion and reassured her that her mom instinct will tell her how to handle this issue.
As I think about these situations, I’m asking myself what stage/group do I find myself? The stage that I’m in of motherhood connects me to the moms of adult children, moms in sports, moms of teens, boy moms, and stepmoms to name a few. But my heart smiles when I connect with other moms in different stages of motherhood. That is when I feel the most gratitude – when we can empower moms.
