Do You Have a Mommy Army? Motherhood can be lonely, confusing, and downright hard! When I had my first son, four years ago, I knew nothing except the fact that I knew NOTHING! I did know that books could only give me so much information, and I’m more of a kinesthetic learner anyway. So I quickly began to build my Mommy Army.
4 Mommy friends you need to survive:
Experienced Mommy: Experienced mommies have children 5 or more years older than your children. They haven’t killed their kids, and they’ll help you keep yours alive too. I have several of these moms on speed dial. These are the moms you call/text for all the questions you feel are too dumb to ask the pediatrician about or don’t want (or can’t) ask your mom/mother-in-law. They are also the ones who keep you calm. These moms give you hope that children are super resilient and that you will make it out alive too!
Not as new as you Mommy: Usually they are only 6 months-1 year ahead of you. These moms rock because they are only a little ahead of you in the adventure, so they remember all the same struggles and are probably not sleeping that much more than you, so they sympathize and get your exhaustion level. They are a great resource for upcoming milestones, activities/classes you might not know about, and may even have some hand me downs. Score!
Same time Mommy: It’s wonderful to have moms with kids within the same 3 months as yours. They are easy play dates (for both your kids and you!), on the same pediatrician timeline, good to bounce off ideas on pretty much everything (clothes, eating schedules, and eventually school programming). Your kids are also on the same sleep “training” (of you!), potty training, and growth spurt timeline, so you can commiserate and stay sane together. These moms are on your speed dial for texting 24/7 because you know if you’re up, they are probably up too!
Novice Mommy: Anyone who has a baby a year after you will probably ask you for help as soon as it’s time to register. This mom makes you feel like you actually have it all figured out, and that’s nice to finally have. It’s also nice for you to have someone to pass on the knowledge you’ve gathered, as well as some of the clothes and toys with which you are ready to part.
It’s nice to have an army to help raise my two boys in this crazy world. I know I always have people to help support me, stretch me, and drink a cup of coffee (or wine!) with me.
Do you have an army of support?