10 reasons I’m #rockingmotherhood

I was recently tagged in White Camillas #rockingmotherhood challenge by Steph at Renovation Bay-Bee. All too often we down play our achievements as Moms and aren’t that great at celebrating how awesome we are. I know personally, I find it uncomfortable to accept compliments or give myself a pat on the back, so this is brave new territory for me. This post is aimed at focusing on the positives in life and celebrating the great things we do and are part of.

 I rock at being a mother because …

1. No Macks left behind! That’s our family motto which I’m proud of, it means that we help and support each other, whether that’s giving a push to climb a steep hill, carrying the shopping into the house or running towards the ice-cream van. We make sure we give time to each other, as much as we can and do things as a family team.

No Macks left behind!

2. I have a career that I enjoy. Mini knows that both of her parents go to work so that we can have treats and enjoy good holidays together. I’m ambitious at work and although it’s not easy I’ve tried my best to get a good work life balance to ensure I’m there for Mini, and Mr too.  There have been difficult times when I haven’t been able to attend every school event, last year I was due to give a presentation to a national committee in London with work on the same day as Mini’s nursery nativity play. I made the tough decision to go to work but Daddy, Nanny and Grandad took plenty of photos and videos and I loved watching them with Mini that evening.

3. I made a human being with my own body without any help! After being diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) at the age of 18 I always knew that starting a family may not be easy. We were referred to the fertility clinic for further tests and investigations after no success however, the following day I took a test and found out I was pregnant. I was so proud of my body that it was able to do it all on it’s own and went on to have a healthy, smooth pregnancy.

My body made this beautiful thing!

4. Mini thinks I’m beautiful and gives such beautiful compliments to people. I think most of the time she’s trying to get her hands on my shoes and dresses for when she’s older.

5. We are busy at work in the week but we make sure that we make the most of family time at the weekends. It’s normally my job to plan our trips away and find exciting adventures for us to have. We love using our Merlin passes, go away for the weekend, or explore local parks for a picnic.

Playing at our local park

Seaside adventures at Barry Island

6. I have raised a daughter, with the help of Mr, who is kind, thoughtful and considerate. She is gentle with others and sticks up for people when needed, she definitely has an inbuilt idea about what is right and wrong and isn’t afraid to voice that.

Helping Daddy wash the cars

7.  I volunteer with our local branch of NCT (National Child Birth Trust) and make time to help and support others around me as much as I can. Although I’m not able to commit to a full committee role anymore, I still enjoy volunteering and supporting where I can, you can read more about my volunteering role here. This is something I’ve learnt and observed from my mom, who has spent her entire life looking after others and even now at the age of 71 gives up time to volunteer at our local Salvation Army charity shop. When Mini recently heard about the Grenfell Tower tragedy, she instantly wanted to offer her baby clothes and toys to those that had lost theirs.

8. Happiness is a journey not a destination. This is a lesson that has taken me a long time to learn. In the past I’ve not always felt the most healthy in relation to mental health and have experienced depression and panic attacks. Although there are still some not so good days, I’ve learnt to love myself over time and to appreciate all the wonderful things in my life and be grateful for what I have.

9. There is always time for cuddles/stories/cups of tea together. No matter how busy life gets I always make time for Mini cuddles, I know there will come a time when she won’t offer them so freely so I’m taking every opportunity to mop them up.

10. I make time for me. After all the jobs are done and Mini is tucked up in bed, I try where I can to do something just for me. I enjoy writing on the blog and am finding it really therapeutic and helped build my confidence with writing and being open with my thoughts and feelings. I also enjoy cooking and trying new recipes and have just also started going to yoga class which I’m really enjoying to help me relax.

So How Do You Rock Motherhood? I’d love to hear from you about your achievements and things you want to celebrate.

I’m Tagging the following bloggers to take part in this challenge too:

• Mummy Needs Wine
• Trinimamabebe
• Being Millie’s Mum
• Smiles and Sundays 
• Baby not included

Here are the rules…

1.  Thank the blogger that tagged you and link to their blog.
2. List 10 things you believe make you a good mother (this is just a guideline. It can be more or less than 10. I really don’t mind., be spontaneous)
3. Tag bloggers to join in the #RockingMotherhood Tag.
4. Grab the #RockingMotherhood badge from here and add it to your post or sidebar.