“We’re parked in Cat in the Hat row 560!” My husband and my two boys all repeated the words so we’d have a chance of finding our car in the world’s largest parking garage at the end of our day at Universal Studios. We walked down three flights of stairs and made our way to the park entrance. My husband said, “Does everyone have a mask?” I looked at my younger son, knowingly, and he gave me an “oops” face. I sighed and said to my husband, “Go ahead. We’ll catch up.”
As we trudged back to Cat in the Hat row 560, I wondered what the 2019 version of me would’ve thought of me at this moment. In a lot of ways, she wouldn’t recognize me. Life has changed so much for everyone, but moms especially have become different versions of themselves. We’re definitely more stressed, but it’s possible that we’re better moms today than we were in blissfully unaware 2019. Here are 5 ways I bet you’re a better mom today than you were two years ago.
1. I bet you learned the fragility of relationships.
A friend of mine stopped speaking to her brother because of their difference of opinion over masks and vaccinations. Their story isn’t rare, and it made me look at my children and pray that they will always be close. I want to help them learn how to disagree respectfully so that no conflict will be relationship-ending for them.
2. I bet you prioritized the relationships that really mattered.
My sons’ great-grandfather passed away in his nursing home last year. In those months leading up to his passing, if we knew there would be a visit with him in the near future, we’d say no to an invitation to see friends. We chose to prioritize visits with him because that relationship was the most valuable. Whether it was a drive-by visit with the grandparents or a two-week isolation so everyone could be together for a holiday, you probably did something that showed your kids that family comes first.
The ways we’ve changed through this pandemic opened up a great conversation on the iMOM Podcast. Check out the episode, “How Lucky We Are to Be Alive Right Now,” and tell us if you relate to the battles and blessings we’ve faced.
3. I bet you’ve become more attentive to your kids.
We all tried to be observant of our kids’ behavior and how they were coping with the stress. Were they trying to escape into their video games? Were those tears over a lost toy actually stress finally pouring out? Is your teen’s obsession with her TikTok account a result of feeling isolated? You became a better mom as you watched and cared about your kids’ subtle behavior changes more than ever.
4. I bet you’re stronger.
Does anyone else feel like moms have carried a heavier burden than dads throughout this time? For the most part, it’s been moms who have had to adjust their schedules to be more flexible for sick kids or home learning. And moms wash and keep track of masks and hand washing. Over the past two years, moms have used muscles we didn’t know we had and have proven how strong we are.
Over the past two years, moms have used muscles we didn’t know we had and have proven how strong we are. Click To Tweet5. I bet you grew more comfortable with the unknown.
At some point, we’ve all uttered the words, “I can’t believe we’re still doing this.” We’ve had to live with canceled plans, unmet expectations, and uncertain futures. None of this has been easy at all. In fact, it’s brought us to tears. But I bet you’ve gotten better at making adjustments and learning to see the blessing in every moment, even if it wasn’t what you expected.
How have you changed over the past couple of years? How might you be a better mom now?
