Lessons I've Learned

So I have a little confession to make. I never ever thought that being a Mom would be this hard! I was the oldest of seven children and, honestly, I thought I knew everything and could handle motherhood without a problem! I loved kids and I had babysitting down pat! What more could there be? Fast forward a few years and -WHAM! - I'm a new mother with a screaming baby and I have no clue what to do! Thank goodness for parents who have been there and done that and can give some much-needed encouragement and advice when needed (even if that happens to be in the middle of the night)! So the learning began, and as all mothers, I have been in intense, hands-on, motherhood lessons ever since. For a Relief Society bookclub, we recently read I Am A Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson. It was such a good reminder of just what an important job mothers have! As I have read this book I've been led to ask some older Mothers what they would do differently or what advice they had for someone "in the trenches of motherhood". While each answer has been unique, they have all had the same theme of spending less time on the unimportant and spending more time really enjoying your children. So here are some of the lessons I've learned in an effort to more thoroughly enjoy my children: #1: A little smile can light up your day!
#2: A spoonful of sugar (or in this case, "princess panties") helps the medicine (or potty training) go down!

#3: If life gives you dirt and water, make mud (and let your kids enjoy it)!

#4: Enjoying your kids is not a spectator sport (in other words get down and dirty with 'em)!!


#5: I LOVE being a mother and wouldn't trade these experiences for anything!