What Lessons has Motherhood taught You.

Did motherhood take me by surprise? The answer is No with capital N. I planned having my children. I longed to become a mother. I started reading some parenting books when I was pregnant. I didn't expect to be a perfect mother or to have perfect children and neither was I expecting a stress free life while raising up my children, but when the reality of motherhood hit me, it was as if I was taken by surprise. In parenting, so many things are easier said than done. What works perfectly well for one may be a joke for the other. In all things, I've always counted myself blessed. Motherhood has taught me and will still be teaching me a lot. Just as parents want to shape their children, I will admit that my children have shaped me. I have grown up, I think differently, talk differently,act differently, all thanks to motherhood and my wonderful children.
These are some lessons motherhood has taught me:

1. PATIENCE, PATIENCE, and more PATIENCE: Tell me where they sell this virtue and I'll order a truck load of it. With children, you will be dishing out dozens of patience daily and it's never enough. We all know how it is with meltdowns, tantrums and the rest of them. Only patience will make you overcome such stages and still keep your mind intact.

2. NEVER SAY NEVER: I could remember blaming parents for not doing enough when their children throw tantrums in the public places. I always watch as some toddlers throw themselves on the floor and cry (in public). I believed that would never happen to me. My children will know how to behave themselves in public. Now, with all my attempts to model good behaviour and teach good manners to my kids, public tantrums have become a way of life.

3. FORMING FAMILIES IS SERIOUS BUSINESS: You have to be committed, you need to plan thoughtfully ( even thinking of the right menu to put on the dinner table is not that easy). Some parents have emotionally abandoned their children to fame, work, personal pleasure, money etc. I have given a higher preference to my family over my career.

4. THERE IS NO PERFECT MOTHER: Super Woman simply died of exhaustion. One mom blogger wrote "show me a perfect mom and I'll show you a broken nose". In my struggle to have everything done right, I've learnt to compromise. At times, I forget about preaching table manners and let the kids sit down on the floor and eat their launch. I'm lenient at times when they come out from their rooms in the middle of the night to join us in our bed. We break some rules once in a while and they are not taking advantages of that. I'm not perfect and it doesn't disturb me and I'm very happy my children accepted me the way I am.

I want to hear from other mothers, What Lessons has Motherhood Thought You? Please share with us.

Always Nekky.